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CHICAGO, NSW YORK, AND SAN FRANCISCO. 


HAGAR 



JAMES ARTHUR MACKNIGHT 


“ Let the galled jade wince, our withers are unwrung.” 




BELFORD, CLARKE & CO. 

NEW TORE CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO 

PUBLISHERS 
o<7 



COPYRIGHT, 1889, 

BY J. A. MACKNIGHT. 


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H AGAR 


CHAPTER I. 


“The negligence, the apathy, the evils 
Ot sensual sloth, proauce ten thousand tyrants.” 

—Byron, 


Ohio was among the first and most valiant of the sis- 
terhood of loyal States in sending her sons as a free sac- 
rifice to the fields of strife when treason and rebellion 
threatened the life of the nation. And, though she was 
already deeply stricken by her losses at Shiloh, Donel- 
son, and on the battle-grounds of Virginia, the shadow 
of bereavement had not yet settled on her fair face, for 
the swath that was marked in the plans of fate had not 
yet been cut through her serried ranks. 

The fumes, the din, the horror, and the desolation of 
battle, had happily been kept far from her. She had 
experienced the anguish that evil tidings bring; the 
alarm born of rumor — but these had onlj^ strengthened 
her in the stern and prayerful determination that the 
Union must prevail. 

The customary life of the more northerly cities and 
towns of the state had been but little altered by the prog- 
ress of the war, but the country was already becoming 
stripped of its young men to such an extent that in some 
I)laces the ripe crops had not been harvested and many 
homesteads seemed deserted. 

At Cle^^land and in the surrounding country the 
weather was bright and balmy. In the city there were 
unwonted life and activity. Mad speculation, political 
rancor, war preparation, and social frivolity, each drew 
to itself its legion of devotees ; but nearly all these in 
due time brought their tributes to the altar of Patriot- 


6 


HAGAR 


ism; and Morality, which, like other blessings of free- 
dom, is ever assailed by war, was not dethroned. 

Along the country road near Cleveland on a pleasant 
Sunday afternoon in the autumn of 1862, the forest 
and fruit trees in their sombre tints, swayed in the wind, 
and their leaves were beginning to fall like tears they 
shed for the departing summer. Birds were flitting 
about noisily in the ajjple trees, on which some of the 
winter varieties still hung; the merry little songsters 
fluttered and whirred around in cove^^s, chirping loudly 
as if busy with their preparations for migration to the 
Southern lands. 

This section of the road was a narrow turnpiked lane, 
and for the space of more than a mile there were no 
houses near it. The fields on each side were covered 
with the stubble of cereals, while here and there were 
long rows of corn shocks, and golden sheaves of wheat 
still standing on the ground awaiting laborers. It was 
one of the best roads leading to Cleveland from the 
Elyria toll road, and like others which crossed it at reg- 
ular intervals, was closely fenced, and shaded by rows 
of well-grown poplars and cotton woods. There was 
but little traffic along those roads on Sundays, and even 
more than the customary cpiiet of Sunday in the country 
seemed to prevail there to-day. 

A young man on foot, shabbily dressed, was the 
only visible traveller. In his right hand he car: 
ried a staff which seemed suited either for walk- 
ing or for defence, and in his left a gaunt look- 
ing carpet bag. Though he seemed weary, he held on 
his way with head erect and with a resolute expression. 
There was something interesting about his appearance. 
From his innocence of beard he might have been taken 
for a youth of seventeen or eighteen, but his serious 
features and the expression of his dark eyes suggested 
more years. 

He paused to drink at a clear brook under the shade of 
some tall cotton- woods, and then, after glancing up and 
down the road to assure himself that no one was coming, 
sat down on the grassy bank and began bathing his tired 
feet in the stream. Hardly a minute i)assed before he 
was startled by the voice of a woman crying piteously 
for help ! It sounded close by as if in one of the ad- 


HAGAE. 


7 


joining fields, but it was suddenly hushed and he had 
nothing to guide him towards what he thought must 
be a fellow-creature in distress. He was disturbed, for, 
though he made no pretentions to knight-errantry, that 
piercing scream had thrilled him as he had never before 
been thrilled. Barefooted as he was he grasped his 
staff and ran to the first cross-lane. He at first saw 
nothing suspicious, and was about to turn back when he 
caught sight of something moving between the trees of 
a hedge-row in the lane, and ran with all speed in that 
direction. Of a sudden he came upon a burly -looking 
man with full black beard dragging a young woman 
through the bushes with his hand clasped . over her 
mouth. His brain reeled at the thought that a murder 
was about to be conmiitted before his eyes; but his 
heart was strong, and he plunged through the thicket. 
The ruffian, finding himself pursued, flushed with rage 
and nearly dropped his burden, but seeing that the strip- 
ling was so much his inferior in physical power, he 
gritted his teeth and exclaimed with an oath, 

“ Go your way, boy, or I’ll murder you ! ” 

The girl was gasping for breath, and struggling with 
the energy of despair by which she disengaged his hand 
for an instant and shrieked in terror. At this the young- 
man sprang forward, his bare feet lacerated by the briars 
and stubble, and dealt her assailant a blow with his staff*, 
The stroke must have been weakened by the pain he was 
suffering, for the man warded it off as if it had been a 
rush. He let go his hold on his captive, and sprang upon 
the young man like a tiger, crushing him to the earth. 
The girl staggered a moment, being almost suffocated 
with fright ; but seeing her defender in imminent dan- 
ger she seized the staff he had let fall, and, unseen by 
either of the combatants who were clutched in a death 
struggle, dealt the man such a well-directed and nervous 
blow across the back of the head that he rolled over and 
quivered as if he had been shot. The traveller saw what 
she had done as he si)rang to his feet but little hurt : 
she dropped the staff and was sinking to the ground 
when he ran to support her. He raised her to her feet 
and as the tears came to her relief, she gasped : 

Oh ! take me home, take me home ! I feel that I 
shall die!^' 


8 


HAGAll. 


“ No you shan’t, Miss. Come, I’ll take you home and 
you shan’t die. You are quite safe now, so don’t be 
afraid.” As he spoke he stooped over his prostrate 
enemy and took from under his coat a sharp dagger in a 
leather sheath. The blade was about eight inches long 
and in the struggle the ruffian had partly drawn it from 
the scabbard. There were two letters roughly cut on 
the bone handle, and the traveller put it into Jiis pocket 
as a trophy of his first battle. He then urged the young 
girl to summon up her strength as the man on the ground 
began to show signs of life. She was anxious enough 
to be gone, but for some moments was afflicted with a 
kind of paralysis like that experienced in dreams. 

The delay seemed long and dangerous to the young 
man, though in fact it only amounted to a few seconds, 
and he was glad to find his way back to the road with 
the maiden he had rescued walking by his side. Great 
was his satisfaction that the enemy did not reappear. 

He knew by the description she gave that he had 
passed her home perhaps three-quarters of a mile to the 
westward, and he hurriedly put on his shoes to accom- 
pany her thither. When she had partly recovered from 
her fright she related the circumstances of the attack. 
She had gone into town with her father in the morn- 
ing to attend church, and as he was detained for a spe- 
cial meeting in the evening she thought she would walk 
home alone as she had often done. She first noticed 
the man who had assaulted her soon after i)assing 
through the suburbs of the city, but had anticipated no 
danger, and continued on her way. The man must have 
followed her by another road, for she had not seen him 
again until he came towards her suddenly from the 
lane where she was rescued. This was all. she said, 
except that it was evident to her that Heaven had sent 
the traveller to save her at a moment when she felt that 
she was lost. 

Perhaps so, ” he said, dryly, as he looked back in the 
direction of his enemy, and wondered whether the law 
would ever punish him as he deserved. “ I must try to 
find that villian and put justice on his track,” he added 
presently. The difficulty of realizing his wish fully pre- 
sented itself to his mind, and he walked on in silence 
until they came in sight of a large and handsomely . 


HAGAE. 


9 


built house on the left side of the road, situated in a 
grove of chestnuts and fruit trees. An avenue of poplars 
extended from the gate to the house, and on both sides 
were wide closel3^-mown lawns cut into a garden land- 
scape of tlower-beds, shubbery and evergreens. 

The traveller had already guessed from the manner 
and the attire of his protegee, that she belonged to a 
good family, and now he gazed with deepened interest at 
the pleasant home he had passed with indifference a 
short time before. 

He opened the gate for her and she entered, but he re- 
mained outside. She was visibly embarrassed, and stam- 
mered as she said : — 

‘‘ Will 3^011 not come in and rest ? ” 

No, thank 3 ou, ” he replied, closing the gate and step- 
ing back — I must hurry into the city. 

“ M3" father is the Rev. Dr. Taine — I would urge 3’ou 
to come in now if he were here to thank 3"ou. But 
when he is away I have no friends here — ^you will i)ar- 
don me ? ’• 

‘‘ Don’t apologize. Miss — its all right. 1 should refuse 
to come in now in an3" case — I shall be late. But I may 
see you and 3"our friends at another time. As to what 
I’ve done for 3"ou I don’t want an3" thanks ; I’m glad I’ve 
had the honor to be of service to you, though sorry 
enough for your suffering. And now 1 must bid you 
good da3". ’’ 

Their eyes met, his full of serious candor, her’s ex- 
pressing a wistful embarrassment, as he raised his hat 
in salute and resigned his walk towards Cleveland. 

The young girl’s lips moved as though she were trying 
to speak, but without uttering a word she pressed her 
liandkerchief to her e3"es and went slowly up the avenue. 

Before she reached the house Mrs. Taine appeared on 
the verandah and called to her. This Avas an elderl3' 
Avoman Avith thin features, and a sharp pair of cat-like 
eyes stai'ing out of gold-rimmed spectacles. She Avas 
annoyed that Hagar did not ansAver, and called to her 
again with spiteful emphasis. 

“ Answer me at once. Miss ! What’s the meaning of 
this ? Who AA as tluit man at my gate with you ? ” 

‘^Ohl Mrs. Taine’’ — said the young girl faintly be- 
tween her sobs as she threw herself despondently on 
the verandah steps. 


10 


HAGAE. 


In a moment Mrs. Taine had imagined a drama of 
youthful indiscretion and folly. Here was proof posi- 
tive, of what she had long suspected, that Hagar was a 
forward young woman and a flirt. 

“ Don’t call me ‘‘ Mrs.” hussy ! how dare you call me 
“ Mrs.” she exclaimed with energy. This verbal slip on 
the part of Hagar was another proof as strong as holy 
writ that it was Mrs. Taine’s duty to corner her there 
and then. She had recently got a notion, nobody knew 
how or where, that “ Madam ” sounded more dignified 
than “ Mrs.” and insisted on that title in its abbreviated 
form, from those who were beholden to her. 

“ Come,” said she, taking hold of Hagar’s arm — out 
with it — who was it — for I declare he looked like a ped- 
lar from my window. 

“ He was an entire stranger, Ma’am Taine ” 

“ Oh ! my gracious ! another blackguard acquaintance 
ey ! What next, I wonder ! ” 

“I had a dreadful fright — a man attacked” — she was 
anxious to hit upon an explanation of an incident which 
she felt it would be difficult to account for to the satis- 
faction of her present audience ; but Mrs. Taine inter- 
rupted her at every word. 

“ A fright ! you don’t say so ! And were you so fright- 
ened that you didn’t know better than to take up with a 
strange man, pray ? ” 

“I would tell you what I mean in a few Avords if you 
would i)ermit me,” said Hagar in a voice which indica- 
ted both humility and fear. But Mrs. Taine wanted a, 
confession in accord with her preconceived theory and 
strove to abase her victim by a storm of words, in the 
midst of which Hagar retreated to the sitting-room, 
Avhither the old lady promptly followed her. 

Mrs. Taine settled herself in an easy chair near the 
grate and cast an inquisitorial glance at Hagar, who had 
taken a book from the table and was listlessly turning 
the leaves. 

“ I’m ready to hear what you’ve got to say Miss Ro- 
mancer, but mind, I shall believe only as much of it as I 
like, for the girls of these days are given to fabricating 
yarns of a very different kind from those I spun at your 
age. I know your weakness, so do not think to impose 
on my credulity.” 


HAGAR. 


11 


Hagar was silent, and kept her eyes bent upon her 
book, uncertain w^hat to say. After a moment’s pause 
she started to quit the room. 

“ Well, hussy, well ? what’s come over you ? How dare 
you turn your back upon me and not reply. Such bra- 
zenness ! But I know who to thank for all this. 1 
knew by your nature and conduct as a child, what you 
w^ould be when you thought yourself a woman — I told 
him so — ^lYhy don’t you speak, I say ! ” The old lady 
spoke wdth such force and emphasis that her voice 
cracked ominously at the w'orcl “ speak,” and made sev- 
eral false notes before it recovered its wonted pitch. 

Hagar turned round, and looking her calmly in the 
face, said : — 

If 1 had thought myself a woman, as 3^011 sa^^ ^la’am 
Taine, I should not have endured 3'our tyranny" as I have 
done so long. You must not suppose that I w ill make 
any statement wdiatever to you, w'hen 3^011 declare 30111* 
intention of disbelieving me even before I have spoken. 
I never told 3"ou a falsehood, though 3'ou have often ac- 
cused me of so doing. Perhaps I have been the lamb too 
long, and I must tell you I shall cease to be so if I am 
treated like a wmlf.” 

This display of independent spirit wms a complete sur- 
prise to Mrs. Taine, as she had always been accustomed 
to seeing Hagar cower under the lash of her scorn. 

If you will excuse me,” continued the 3mung woman, 

I will go to my room until Father Taine comes home.” 
She withdrew quietly, leaving Mrs. Taine bewildered 
and very angry. 

^‘Well, I never!” she exclaimed when Hagar had 
closed the door noiselessl3\ ^‘Now she has gone to 
hatch a fine stor3' for the ears of old Universalit3\ 
What a position, to be sure, for a woman of my culture 
and antecedents.” 

She sat for awhile muttering to herself and rocking to 
and fro to lull her temper ; then, taking up Calvins’ “ In- 
stitutes,” which had long been her only source of re- 
ligious instruction and mental recreation, she moved to 
a chair near the window that commanded a view’ of the 
avenue, and read intently until the daylight failed her. 
She had laid the good book on the window^ sill and w*as 
falling into a peaceful doze, when she heard a noise out- 


12 


HAGAR. 


side, and could just distinguish in the dusk that two ve- 
hicles were coming up the avenue. 

“ My goodness ! what’s this, I wonder ? ” She called 
Maria, and after throwing a woolen shawl over her head 
repaired to the verandah to see who the arrivals were. 
The foremost carriage Avas evidently Dr. Taines’, and the 
other as certainly an ambulance. 

‘‘Now, I wonder if he’s picked up some crippled beg- 
gar to trouble me with,” she said, addressing the house- 
maid. 

She was soon enlightened, for Dr. Taine, a venerable- 
looking man with white hair and beard, alighted from 
his buggy and directed the city ambulance to draw up 
to the steps, and she saAV that the injured man who lay 
prone on the stretclier within was hei* husband’s sou. 

“ What’s the matter, Nathan ? ” she asked. 

“ A serious accident has happened. The “ Globe ” of- 
fice has been burned to the ground, and «Tames is badly 
injured.” 

“Just what I expected!” exclaimed Mrs. Taine, rais- 
ing her hands as if to call Heaven to witness the fulfil- 
ment of her prox)hecy. Though unable to restrain her 
desire to carp, she yet had enough consideration to 
lower her voice so it was only heard by the doctor. 
“You will now remember my words, Nathan, on the 
day the Misses Mull were here : ‘ Yes,’ said I, ‘ all these 
young fellows would rather be in a crowded city where 
death and the devil are staring them in the face, than 
lead a steady and industrious life on the farm.’ Hoav 
often my words are veiified, and yet hoAV little they are 
heeded ! I only wish — 

“ Hush ! Melissa,” whispered the parson gently, 
“ James may be dying.” 

Even so it would have delighted Mrs. Taine to remind 
him of her predictions, but the young men who had ac- 
companied the patient were now bearing him towards 
the house. He Avas suffering acute pain and looked very 
pale. 

James had not lived at his father’s house for some 
time, and for a year or more had not jiassed a night 
there. There Avas, therefore, no chamber in readiness 
to receive him, and he was carried into the sitting-room 
to await necessary preparations. He was surprised to 


HAGAE. 


13 


find himself at Chestnut Grove, having supposed they 
were taking him to a hospital ; but Dr. Taine preferred 
to have him brought home, and was advised to do so by 
the physician who examined his son’s injuries. 


CHAPTER n. 


“She cannot love 

Nor take no shape nor project of affectioiif 
She is so self-endeared/’— 


The Rev. Nathan Taine was one of the leading apos- 
tles of Universalism in the West and had a large and in- 
fluential following at Cleveland. His earl}" life had 
been characterized by struggle and hardship, and later 
by sorrows and cares ; but withal, he was what the 
world calls a successful man and had attained to a posi- 
tion of considerable eminence from very small begin- 
nings. 

His voice was always heard when the Union was the 
theme, and he indulged in many bitter sarcasms against 
“ Copperheads ” and other species of disunionist and 
pro-slavery sympathizers at the North, w^hom he re- 
garded as a fouler brood than the declared rebels wJio 
were in arms against the nation they had wronged and 
which, he always declared, had not wronged them. 

For two years after he lost his wife Nathan Taine 
remained a widower; but, thinking that it would be 
better for his son and adopted daughter if he had a good 
woman who, as his wife, would take a mother’s interest 
in them, he married again. 

He was strangely disappointed. In those days he 
was only the young pastor of a small country church 
of the Methodist persuasion, and the only lady he knew 
who seemed suited to his case was Miss Melissa Duncan, 
a spinster of about his own age, a leader in his church 
who was reputed to have both money and brains, and 
the only child and heir of the richest man in the county, 
who had recently died. This wife never had a child, and 
instead of being a mother and friend to those who were 
left to her care, she was from the flrst cold and harsh 
towards them and was regarded by them as an ogress, 
rather than a mother. While still a lad James had gone 
out and worked for his living to escape the tyrant who 


HAGAR. 


15 


ruled at home^ and Hagar had to take his share of Mrs. 
Taine’s unkindness. 

Father Taine/^ as the minister was usually called by 
those who knew him well, and particularly by the young- 
er portion of the community, was often saddened by the 
discordant state of his domestic affairs ; but his public 
duties called him hither and thither in such a constant 
round of important missions that he had been compelled 
to leave the children to his wife, who summed up her 
interest and effort by the soothing consideration (sooth- 
ing only to her diseased vanity) that nothing could be 
done with them. She blackened J ames as much as pos- 
sible to his father; denounced him as wilful, impudent 
and deceitful, and at one time, when in a towering rage, 
reported blasj>hemy among his crimes. Dr. Taine had 
his suspicions that his wife exaggerated the faults of 
the lad, but, though disturbed by her accusations, he had 
neither time nor patience to go to the root of the matter, 
or, perhaps thought it best to trust to the future for 
the solution of his difficulties. 

Hagar was a little waif whom the pastor had taken 
into his home and heart some time before his second 
marriage. She had been subject from the first to the 
peculiar antipathy of Mrs. Taine. From her infancy 
she was of an affectionate and grateful nature — ^not 
especially bright or clever, but kind, gentle and winning 
in disposition. She was liked by everybody except the 
mistress of Chestnut Grove, but especially loved by 
Father Taine who could fully appreciate her girlish 
fancies and the promise of her budding womanhood, and 
whom she regarded as a great and superior being. She 
sought his society on every possible occasion, went with 
him on his journeys whenever it was convenient, re- 
maining still a child in sentiment and affection, though 
almost a woman in years. She had met a good many 
people but had made few intimate acquaintances, partly 
owing to the habit of remaining with her adopted 
father, and partly to the unsociable and inhospitable 
reputation earned by her adopted mother, who, by the 
way, would never permit herself to be called by that 
name. Her educational advantages had been limited to 
the customary course in the public school at Newberg, 
a few cheap piano lessons by an incompetent spinster 


16 


HAGAR. 


in the neighborhood, and such desultory and undirected 
reading as fell in her way. 

It is, indeed, probable that she had more talent for 
cookery than for scholarship, for she had certainly 
made some progress in the former science, which could 
scarcely be said of the latter. But she could write and 
speak her mother tongue with tolerable accuracy, and 
except for an habitual gi’avity which she rarely cast 
wholly aside, she was as pleasant and vivacious as the 
average western girl of that period and, perhaps, not 
more so. The seriousness referred to began to assert 
itself from the moinent she fully realized that she had 
no father or mother of her own, and although the sub- 
ject was never referred to by others, except ;^hen Mrs. 
Taine maliciously brought it forward to wound her, it 
was never absent from her own jmind a moment, and the 
sad expression in her large hazel eyes which became 
more marked from year to year as a result of her reflec- 
tions, aroused immediate interest in those who met her. 

Mrs. Taine made frequent objections to her husband’s 
attentions and indulgences towards ‘‘ the foundling,’’ as 
she contemptuously styled her ; but the doctor paid lit- 
tle heed to her unreasonable vagaries, deeming them of a 
piece with her other incorrigible follies with regard to 
which, since he had discovered how useless it was to 
combat them, he had assumed a stoical indifference as 
the attitude least calculated to stir up strife. If he 
stopped to argue with Melissa he was lost. Her tyran- 
nical spirit had been carefully nourished and freely 
exercised ever since she married the doctor ; and latterly 
Hagar had been its principal foil. But the kind-hearted 
old gentlemen was more affectionate than ever to the 
orphan since James had gone away, and he seemed op- 
pressed at times by an apprehension that she might be 
the next to vanish beyond his ken. Her gentle thought- 
fulness made her a great comfort to him. When he 
reached home, weary in body and mind after hours of 
discussion and turbulence such as had charactenzedv. 
his labors during the last few years, she would bring; 
his slippers and dressing gown, and a cup of his favorite 
cocoa which she made exactly to his taste, into ther- 
library. She studied his needs and his happiness, and 
brought many a ray of sunshine to his heart when his . 


HAGAE. 


17 


brow was clouded with cares of which she knew noth- 
ing. The stolid indilTerence of Mrs. Taine rendered 
llagar the more devoted ; for it seemed to her almost 
monstrous that a woman could be so destitute of feeling 
and sensibility towards a husband Avho Avas the soul of 
goodness and gentleness. 

Melissa had never forgiven what she called “ Nathan's 
fall from othodoxy/’ and only her strong belief in the 
indissolubility of the marriage tie, had prevented her 
from seeking divorce at the time of its occurence. 
She had publicly declared this, and many thought it 
l)robable that the doctor would regret her tenacity of 
a bond which to him must be rather galling. She 
scarcely ever spoke to him unless to argue theology. 
She never seemed to think of him as a rational being to 
whose natural requirements -she might administer, 
but rather as a kind of theological nut she was 
especially set apart to crack; and spent the time that 
rightly belonged to the care of himself and the house- 
liold in arguing that , his IJniversalism Avas entirely 
Avrong. To prove her case she would insist, at times, 
daring the first years of her married life, on reading- 
whole sections from the works of Calvin and Knox, or 
some other hardshell divine of remote times whose 
Avritings she but imperfectly understood; or, when es- 
l)ecially enthusiastic, would bring forth some of her own 
disquisitions, consisting of “Notes on the Godhead,” 
“Parallel Notes on Faith,” “Notes on the Trinity” 
Avhich, together, would have filled several volumes 

One morning a feAV days after James' accident at the 
Globe office fire, Hagar entered his room with a small 
tray full of. nice things she had prepared with her own 
hands for the invalid. She wore a i)lain dress of some 
figured cotton stuff, and a neat bib-apron of her own 
make. 

James thought he had neA^er seen lier look so pretty, 
^ it certainly iieA^er so pale. He smiled at her burden 
v.f provisions, and when she had placed it on a small ta- 
ble near the bed, extended his hand, saying : 

“ Good morning, Hagar ; who has had the kindness to 
order me a well man’s breakfast?” 

“ Dr. Warren said last night that you might have a nPe 
chop this morning if you were hungry; but knowing 


18 


HAGAE. 


how I dislike hearing beforehand of what I am going 
to have to eat I cooked these things for you myself, and 
I think if you have no appetite now this coffee will give 
you one. I hope you don’t mind, Mr. James ? ” 

^‘Mind? Yes, I do — I’m very thankful to you, for, to 
tell the truth, I do feel hungry. Dr. Warren was 
right — Si nice chop is the very thing for my case.” 

“ Oh, I’m so glad, because Father Taine said I might 
bring you whatever I liked so long as the doctor approv- 
ed. And 3 ou seem so much better to-da^” — I hope you 
feel better, Mr. James ? ” 

^^Yes — my brain is not so heavy — ^my mind is clear 
as crystal.” 

“ And do you feel strong enough to tell me just a little 
about the fire while you are eating 3^our breakfast ; — 
how it happened, and how you were saved ? Mr. Kil- 
bourne has told us that 3^011 were shut up by a wall that 
caved in, how dreadful! Please do tell me, if it won’t 
fatigue you too much.” 

He glanced at her admiringly as he raised himself on 
his elbow and began sipping the fragrant coffee. Pres- 
enth^ he said : 

^^I will tell 3^ou all I know about it, Hagar, on one 
condition.” 

And what is that ? ” 

^^That you will never address me again as Mister 
James.” 

But what will Ma’am Taine say if I speak to you or 
about you otherwise ? She says I have no right to call 
you simply ‘ James.’ ” 

No matter what she says ; — I don’t know where she 
came by such a notion, but you must call me -simply 
^ James.’ Before she confers any titles on me I want 
to see her authority ; in the meantime I hope you will 
oblige me by speaking as familiarly to me as she does. 
We are not living under a monarchy where degrees 
are marked out with such a nicety that, it takes a vol- 
ume as large as Webster’s dictionary to record them, 
and we won’t admit an imperium in imperio by allowing 
madame to set up a petticoat government in this quarter. 
No, Hagar, we are equals, provided I am good enough 
to be your equal. I never had any patience with my 
step-mother’s affectations, and have less now than ever. 


HAGAR. 


19 


Her conduct towards you from your infancy to the pres- 
ent time has doomed her in my esteem. But you have 
shown yourself a little brick in keeping your footing 
here in spite of her, and 1 hope you will never allow 
her harshness or injustice to drive you away, or even 
to cast your spirit down. Father loves you, and I — I 
will see hereafter that you are not imposed on by Ma’am 
Taine.” 

James paused a moment and looked intently at Hagar : 

Now, then,” she said, “ you have become sad and I’m 
sure you are not enjoying your breakfast.” 

Yes I am ; ” James replied, attacking a bit of crisp 
toast, “but I was wondering why you looked so pale. 
You appear to have missed your breakfast altogether, 
for your cheeks were always so rosy. Has the tyrant 
been meddling with you, lately ? ” 

“No, it is not that,” she said, looking away, “but I 
have had such an awful fright, elames.” 

“ A fright ? When ? ” 

“ Last Sunday.” She could say no more at that moment 
for her voice faltered and she burst into tears. 

“ What Is it, Hagar — can’t you tell me ? ” 

“ It seems like a dream now,” she said at last, “ and I 
am almost afraid to think of it. I began telling it to 
Ma’am Taine but as she said she would not believe my 
account unless she liked it, I would not proceed. I have 
not had an opportunity to tell Father Taine, so that no 
one knows it but the two men and myself.” 

“ The two men — w'hat two men ? ” 

“The one who attacked me, and — and — the one \vho 
saved me.” 

“ Attacked you ! what do you mean ? ” asked James 
with astonishment. 

“I will tell you just how it happened,’^ said Hagar, 
wiping away her tears. She then described her attack 
and rescue which surprised and excited James Taine 
more than an 3 ^bit of news he had gathered during his 
reportorial career. Was such a thing possible, he asked 
himself, so near a great city, on the highway in broad 
daylight? Certainly the culprit could have been noth- 
ing less than an escaped lunatic, he thought, and he 
asked Hagar about the appearance of the man, and if 
she had any idea where the one who rescued her came 


20 


HAGAR. 


i*rom. Her replies seemed to offer no tangible clue to 
either the villain who merited punishment, or the hero 
who deserved reward. 

All I can remember,^’ she said, about the dreadful 
creature who seized me is that he was very tall with 
a black beard and dressed in black clothes. He picked 
me up and carried me as if I had been a child, 
and I thought I was dying when I heard the voice of the 
young man who came to save me. He was slender but 
his eyes were dark, and overhung by prominent brows : 
— Ms face was smooth, and his complexion dark.” 

That’s strange,” exclaimed the invalid. Dark com- 
plexion you say, and young ? ” 

“ Yes,” Hagar replied, surprised by his question. 

“Was his hair short or long?” 

“ It was long and curly — I noted that when I thought 
he was being killed.” 

“In what color was he dressed?” James demanded 
with still deeper interest. 

“ He had on gray trousers and coat, and a blue hannel 
shirt. I wondered who he could be, and looked at him 
closely when he was putting on his shoes.” 

“Can it be possible ?” said James. “Why Hagar, 
you are describing the very man who, that same day, 
saved me from the fire. All that you have said I 
should have to say if I attempted to describe him — the 
blue shirt, the dark eyes and long hair — the prominent 
brow— I thought his forehead like Shakespeai*e’s aS he 
dashed through the smoke and flames, his hair stream- 
ing, his eyes flashing heroic fire that seemed to regard 
the hissing and devouring flames as its natural element. 
Could it have been the same ? — It seems incredible ! ” 

“ You were going to tell me about it, James, when I in- 
terrupted you with the story of my fright.” 

“ Well then, I will resume the subject — ^but I feel cer- 
tain after what you have said that the same hand tliat 
saved you from a villain or a madman, saved me from a 
fiery death. God grant that he is safe ! ” 

“ He was hurt, then ? ” asked Hagar, greatly interest- 
ed in the subject of this mysterious hero. 

“ Yes, you shall hear. My tragedy happened some 
two or three hours later than yours, which is addi- 
tional cause for my thinking that we were rescued by 


HAGAR. 


21 


one and the same hand ; but Heaven knows that I would 
riather have been roasted to a cinder than that one hair 
of your dear head should be harmed. The fire broke 
out in the press room and originated by the lamp-light- 
er setting fire to the kerosene with which he was filling 
the lamps. A ^devil’ who was helping him escaped and 
made known this fact, but the lamplighter was probably 
killed, by the explosion of the oil. I was in the report- 
er’s room on the third fioor writing up from my notes 
Dr. Gall’s sermon which I had attended in the forenoon. 
Before I heard the alarm of fire, the stair ^.ys and el- 
evator were burning, and the entire lower portion of the 
building was in fiames. Many of the partitions were of 
lath and plaster and burnt like tinder. Shrieks and 
cries for help were mingling with the cracking and roar- 
ing of the fire when I ran into the hall to be almost 
stifled by the smoke ; and some Of the typesetters, both 
men and girls, on the same floor, hurled themselves 
down the stairs into the midst of the flames. I thought 
there might still be one chance of life left for me, and 
t*ealized that nothing but perfect coolness would enable 
me to avail myself of it. To jump from a window would 
be death, and the flames were leaping through those I 
might have reached. By some means, however, I must 
descend, and in desperation swung myself by one of the 
burning ropes of the elevator to the second floor, the el- 
evator shaft forming a well of incandescence beneath. 
Almost suffocated, I fled towards an open window on the 
right, the dense smoke being momentarily parted by the 
rushing currents of air which also revived me ; but I had 
only gone a few paces when I was hurled with a mass of 
smouldering debris to the lower floor. How I escaped 
being killed by that fall is a mystery. I Avas stunned, 
though not unconscious. But I was completely walled 
in, and could feel the heat of the fire under me which 
would soon burst through the damp timbers by which I 
was held as in a vise, and consume me with the rest. 
My struggle seemed hopeless, and I was about to give up 
in despair and consign my spirit to its Maker, when I 
heard a battering noise near me, and a moment later saAV 
the man with the blue shirt and the long hair break 
through the thin partition and come towards me. 

‘‘ Where is the woman I saw coming this way 


22 


HAGAR. 


that wall fell in ?” he asked quickly, at the same time 
shoving aside a timber that formed part of the trap that 
held me fast. I could only reply that I had not seen the 
woman, and it was clear we had not a second to lose if 
we would escape with our own lives. Seeing that I was 
disabled though he was already burnt and bruised him- 
self, he took me on his shoulder and carried me out 
through the hole he had made, from what in a few min- 
utes would have been my tomb ! His lips trembled, 
and he covered his eyes with his hand to hide his tears 
of gi’atitude. 

“ And the woman, did she escape ? asked Hagar, who 
had listened with rapt attention to his story. 

“No, I am afraid not; and he who tried to save her 
missed her and found a less worthy object for his hero- 
ism.’’ 

“ You cannot judge as to that James, ” said Hagar 
with gentle reproof. “ But how strange and sad it all 
seems, and how wonderful it will be if the same man 
really saved both our lives on that day. ” 

“ I am convinced that it is the case ” — James rejoined. 
But at that moment a tap at the door announced that 
his friend Kilbourne was coming in, and Hagar with- 
drew without resuming the conversation. 

“ I see Dr. Warren coming up the avenue, ” said Mark. 

“ Then I hope he will bring me news of my mysterious 
friend.” 

While they were talking Dr. Warren dismounted at 
the verandah steps, and handing a letter to the negro 
servant, Dan, said : 

“ Please give this letter to Mrs. Taine, I bring it from 
her husband.” Mrs. Taine seemed to take no interest 
in James’ case, and, as usual, did not make her appear- 
ance. The doctor proceeded to his patient’s room and 
found that he was progressing favorably. 

“ There is a full account of the fire in this paper,” said 
the doctor. “ You seem to have been pretty well in the 
midst of it, James ; but did you see anything of the fiery 
genius the}^ speak of here in connection with your 
name ? ” 

“What do they say about him ? ^ asked James, “ for a 
spirit of some kind saved me from death.” 

“ This must be the one — just listen — ” replied Doctor 


HAGAE. 


23 


Warren. He then read the following paragraph from a 
paper he had brought with him : — 

‘‘ ^ When the conflagration was at its height and it 
seemed that everything burnable must quickly be con- 
sumed, a young man was seen making his way through 
the crowd shouting that there were human beings inside 
who might be saved. Dressed only in his pantaloons 
and a coarse flannel shirt, he snatched a heavy bar from 
one of the ladder trucks, and dashed into the buildijig 
amid a moan of dismay and a wild “ hurrah ! ” from the 
crowd. One, two, three — five minutes passed — ^he was 
wreathed in fire — the people cried that he had dis- 
appeared forever ; and who shall describe the hurricane 
of exultation that greeted him when he reappeared on 
the very tongues of flame, bearing on his shoulder the 
disabled form of Mr. James Taine, a talented young re- 
porter on the “ Globe.’^ ’ ” 

“That is evidently some of Mike’s work — ^nothing 
pleases him so well as a fling at rhetoric.” said Mark, 
smiling. 

“ He continues : — said the doctor, resuming the 
newspaper : — ‘ The rescued reporter has been taken to 
his father’s house in the country, and the gallant boy 
who risked his life to save him and is badly hurt, is be- 
ing cared for at the City Hospital. He refuses to give 
his name, residence, calling, or any information what- 
ever concerning himself, and disclaims having done any- 
thing surprising. Nevertheless, this community owes 
him a debt of gratitude for his noble deed, and will cer- 
tainly not lose sight of him without making a suitable 
acknowledgement of the appreciation and honor it teels 
for such a hero.’ — ^What do you say to that ? ” 

“He deserves it all,” replied James, with enthusiasm, 
“ and, I suspect, a good deal more. Have you called to 
see him at the hospital, doctor?” 

“ No, but I shall do so on my return to town.” 

“ Well give him my best regards and thanks. Tell him 
that I will esteem it a great favor if he will drive out 
here with my father as soon as he is able. Father will 
call to see him again to-day, I presume, if he has time. 
He does not know that probably Hagar’s life was saved 
that day by the same person who saved me— but such 


24 


HAGAR. 


really seems to be the case.” He repeated what Hagar 
had told him, after which the doctor went away, saying 
that he would report the matter to the police authorities, 
and deliver James’ message to the most modest of 
heroes. 

Mrs. Taine met the doctor on the verandah, and ex- 
tended her hand with a formal ‘‘ Good morning, doctor.” 

“ Will you be likely to see Doctor Taine again to-day, 
doctor ? ” she continued. 

“ Yes, he has promised to dine with us.” 

“ Oh ! then please tell him that the contents of his 
note are duly noted, and that he could not have sent me 
more welcome news — also accept my thanks as the 
bearer, doctor.” She added the last phrase with peculiar 
affectation. The doctor, being one of the many who 
could not understand the mistress of Chestnut Grove 
did not prolong the interview, but gracefully disengaged 
himself and rpde away. 

Though she had already learned the letter by heart 
she again took it from her imcket as she paced the 
verandah. It ran as follows : — 

Dear Melissa I send this line by Dr. Warren to tell you 
that I have found Mr. Smiles, of Boston, who spent a few days 
with us some months ago, awaiting me at the Tabernacle. In 
deference to what I knew to be your wish, 1 liave invited him to 
accompany me to Chestnut Grove this evening. 1 think he in- 
tends to pass several days with us. 

Yours, Nathan.” 

Mrs. Taine w^as elated at the prospect of this visit. 
She had never ceased recurring to the aihiability and 
lovable character of the devout Mr. Smiles, whose 
former brief stay in her house formed the golden age of 
her social annals. Ever since she met him she had been 
in the habit of declaring that he was the only man she 
ever knew who was entirely congenial to her. 


CHAPTEE IT I. 


“She loves, but knows not whcyn she loves.” -Jfoorc. 


Mrs. Taine was busy during the afternoon preparing 
to receive her favorite guest. Having attended person- 
ally to the arrangement of the room destined for him, 
she put on her best silk dress, which she rarely wore, 
and pinked her cheeks with vermilion, an art she prac- 
ticed only upon the most ceremonious occasions. Her 
crinoline, in accord with the prevailing fashion, was 
enormous ; and her hair was puffed iij) by combs under 
a lace caj) letting little thin corkscrew curls dance out 
just in front of her ears. The gold-rimmed spectacles 
had undergone a special polishing, and, on reference to 
her looking-glass, she flattered herself that the Eev. Mr. 
Smiles Avould And her, despite the disadvantages of her 
surroundings (which, she thought, he had fully under- 
stood), entirely up to the standard of New England ladies 
of her age and mode of life. 

“ He can appreciate a woman of intellect,’’ she said to 
herself as she smoothed down her post-meridian visage 
before the mirror, “ which is a thing these western men 
are inca])able of. And, besides, he is so orthodox — no 
walking museum of new fangled notions ! He said he 
would like to make some selections from my writings to 
use in his missionary sermons, and I will give him free 
access to all my manuscripts. He said also that my 
thoughts were so noble, and so beautifully expressed. 
Perhaps we might even compose a great theological 
work conjointly. I’ll mention it to him — ’’ Thus hei- 
thoughts coursed on in a kind of ecstacy until she saw 
Hagar pass the window. A new prospect of almost end- 
less possibilities was suddenly opened up in her mind. 
She had long wiished to rid herself of Hagar, and it now 
recurred to her that Mr. Smiles had paid the girl gi^eat 
attention on the occasion of his former visit. She 
thought the matter over in all its beariings, for she 
prided herself on always being consistent, and wantetl 


26 


HAGAR 


to make this scheme meet that requirement. Hagar 
never discussed theological questions, but Mrs. Taine 
had little doubt that she was orthodox at heart, believing 
she could not understand the rubbish taught by her adop- 
tive father. If she were to let Hagar see that she wished 
her to accept the minister’s attentions she would be sure 
to shun Mm like a viper. Her plan, therefore, she 
thought, was to seem to oppose while doing all she could 
to promote, the frequent meeting of Hagar with the 
young parson. Such a handsome and polished gentle- 
man, with his flowery language and delightful manners, 
she argued, could not fail to impress the girl ; and, in 
case of his being obliged to defer the niai*riage on ac- 
count of his slender bank account, for, poor fellow ! 
had he not given up his precious time and talents to the 
cause of his religion, how simple a matter it would be 
for her to make him comf ortable on that score. And that 
she would do, because it would place him in the position 
of a brother and a Mend who would be her comforter 
and adviser. 

While cogitating these and a hundred other phases 
of her project she went into the sitting room, where she 
found Hagar arranging some flowers. 

“ I suppose,” said Mrs. Taine, that you remember the 
Rev. Mr. Smiles from Boston, who came here last 
spring ? ” 

“Yes,” replied Hagar briefly, without looking away 
from her occupation. 

“ I thought so ; girls now-a-days can remember a man 
better than anything else. Well, w^at would you 
think if I told you he is coming here again, very soon ? ” 

“ I do not know — but is it so ? ” asked Hagar, glanc- 
ing towards her. 

“Yes; and as he is a bachelor not more than thirty 
it will become you to be very retiring in his presence, 
and study modesty to the best of your ability.” 

“I should be sorry if I had to study that. Ma’am 
Taine,” she rejoined curtly. 

“ Don’t bandy words, but try to improve yourself by 
learning from your superiors. It would be useless for 
you to think of marrying him. He is too far above you 
in intellect, in tastes, and, hem ! hem ! (clearing her 
throat), family.” 


HAGAH. 


27 


Hagar was blushing but strove to conceal her annoy- 
ance. This was one of Ma’am Taine’s favorite resorts 
when she wished to be spiteful, and she employed it, as 
at present, with malice aforethought. 

“ It is in all cases,” she continued, best not to en- 
courage hopes that are doomed before hand to be 
blighted. You must be discretion’s self or you may be 
called a coquette witli even more reason than hereto- 
fore. I am aware, let me inf orm you, that 3^011 have been 
talking again with that infidel rascal Y'ill Sanders.” 

Ma’am Taine, you know he Is not a rascal — and you 
know also that I have Father Taine’s permission to 
speak to him, and to see him whenever I please. Since 
j^ou have made it impossible for him to come to the 
house I am goling to meet him again to-day at the front 
gate to say good b^^e, for he has enlisted and is going 
away perhaps to die for his country.” 

‘‘ You shall not see him, I sslv. Hut if you disobey me 
I will bundle you into the street and let ^^our infidel look 
after you,” said Mrs. Taine in her harshest voice. 

No you won’t. Ma’am Taine ! ” exclaimed Hagar so 
quickly that she made Mrs. Taine start. “ Had I paid 
any attention to 3' our abuse I should have gone long 
ago, when, as a little helpless thing, you used to lock 
me up without food for a day or more at a time. Had I 
not been determined to stay dn spite of 3^ou, I should 
have been driven awa3" by your cruelty. Hut I have 
stifled m3^ own feelings, m3" i)ride and my indignation, 
for the sake of that dear old man whose life 3^011 have 
fllled with bitterness.” Hagar’s spirit was now fully 
aroused, and her courage was evidently fortified by the 
reflection that Janies was in the house. Though Mrs. 
Taine endeavored to check this speech at every word, 
she would not be silenced. And now the angry old lad3" 
was almost choking with rage, which she vented in 
abusive epithets. Hagar put her fingers in her ears and 
fled to her room, and Ma’am Taine had recourse to a 
mild flt of hysteria. 

‘‘I’ll be revenged on that audacious foundling!” she 
said, as she recovered herself. ^^I have enough to tell 
old Universality now to open his e3"es!” She would 
inform Dr. Taine of the strange man at the gate on Sun- 
‘day — the secret conversations with Will Sanders, and 


28 


HAGAR. 


otlier real or imaginary faults which she thought would 
serve to prejudice him against his favorite and bring 
about a crisis that would rlid her house of this fury. 
This she vowed to do by all her theological tracts. 

Towards evening Hagar threw a woolen Nubia’^ over 
her head and walked leisurely down the avenue to the 
gutes, where she found Will Sanders sitting on his 
horse waiting for her. He dismounted to shake hands, 
and enquired kindly about James Tadne. 

“ So, Will, you are going to the war Said Hagar, 
cheerfully, as if to intimate that their parting must not 
be a gloomy one. 

‘^Yes, Hagar,’’ replied the young man, in a far more 
serious tone, ^‘our regiment has been drilling for some 
time, and we are now ordered to the front. But I felt 
that I could not go without telling you what you already 
know — that I love you. Will you not give me one 
word of hope ? it would sustain and cheer me, Hagar, 
through all the dangers and privations I may be required 
to encounter. Do you not love me enough to give me 
this hope ? ” He must have seen her answer in her eyes, 
for his tone was really pathetic. 

You know, Will, that I esteem you highly ; and I will 
confess that I have thought I would marrj^ you if you 
asked me ; but now I cannot make jmu any promise,” 
said Hagar, her e^x^s bent on the ground. 

^^You mean that 3'ou do not love me — you have seen 
some one who — ” 

“ No, it is not that,” she replied quietlj^ I am nobody 
and yet my heart is filled with myself; my past, 
present and future throng my mind with images all 
strange and indistinct, and there’s no room in it for any- 
thing or anybody else. It seems that I have suddenly 
grown old in the last few days. It would be wrong for 
me to promise to be your wife in my present mood.” 
At this she again raised her eyes until they met his with 
a calm and steady look. 

‘‘ I shall not be importunate, Hagar, it is enough for 
me to know that you are frank with me. But I may 
still tell you that I love you in spite of what you say, 
that my heart is yours to do with as you like, to crush 
beneath your feet if that will please you,” said the 
young man, bitterly — and with the ingenuous ardor of 
iuexj)erience and youth. 


HAGAR 


29 


'^No, dear friend,^’ she replied, her face hc'cnming 
more pale in response to the flush of color that appeared 
on his fair boyish cheek, it is too good a heart for that, 
and true enough to be an acceptable offering to your 
country. You are laying it upon her sacred altar. 
Will, and heaven grant it prove a blessed sacrifice ! ” 
How strangely you speak ! This does not sound like 
yourself, you seem another being ! ” 

“Well, perhaps I am. It is but a few days since I 
last saw you, and yet I should not know myself to be the 
same — 

“ You are enigmatical ” he said, with a distressed loolc. 

“ I only speak the truth; You do not know how much I 
am changed. ” 

“Beware of fanciful notions, Hagar. I fear you ai*e 
not happy. Can 3^011 not confide in me ? ” 

“No, not now, she said, in a sad but kindly' voice. 
“ Good bye and Heaven bless you, is all I can saj', and 
that is from my heart ! ’’ 

“ And from my heart I repeat the words to you. ’’ He 
spoke very solemnly', and taking off his hat, raised her 
dainty hand to his lips. 

“And now, before I go,’’ he added sadl}^ — “perhaps 
never to see you again in this world, will you not allow 
me to say a word to you as a brother ? Apart from my 
love, Hagar, I feel a deep interest in your welfare and 
happiness, and at this moment I am o})pressed by a vague 
apprehension concerning you. It has been caused, 
no doubt, by what .you haye said. Ma.y I speak 
freely ? ” 

“Yes, Will.” 

“I have but a narrow experience of the world, and 
yet, I can fully realize the deprivation you sufl'er in not 
having a mother to counsel and guide you at this critical 
period of your life. Y'ou are develop iiig into a handsome 
and charming woman, and 3'our weal or woe must 
depend largely, entirely upon the strength and wisdom 
of your own character. The training 3'ou have had in 
])atience and forbearance should stand you in good 
stead ; but an unswerving constancy to yourself must be 
the invincible shield and buckler which should guard 
3^our innocence and beauty. Of all beings, a w'oinan must 
have a purpose and a will to fulfill it. Forgive me if 


30 


HAGAR. 


I liave said too miicli. " he continued with great tender- 
ness, still holding her hand in his. “ We have been good 
friends for so many years Good-bye — good-bye ” 

He pressed his lips to her brow, then quickly mounted 
his horse to conceal his emotion, and sjjed away like the 
wind. 

Some one has said that the youth of the West are not 
much skilled in courtly gallantries. Perhaps not; but 
the native beauty of their characters is often a charming 
substitute. AVill Sanders was only a farmer's son, but 
he came of Puritan stock, and worked in school and 
college as well as on the farm before he thought it his 
duty to shoulder a musket in defense of his country. No 
knight of any age had a nobler sense pf honor than he, 
and the dear object of his first love was like a goddess 
in his sight. 

Hagar was in tears, but she felt an icy coldness in her 
heart which was proof against the ardor of his words. 
A few days before, it would have been impossible for 
her to have refused him the hope he asked ; but now, 
for reasons she could not explain even to herself, she 
felt an indifference concerning him which was almost 
painful. The gathering shades of night were settling 
about her, and a chilly breeze was rustling through the 
naked branches of the chestnuts. Startled by the sud- 
den consciousness of being alone, she set out almost in- 
voluntarily towards the house, but had only taken a 
few steps when she heard Father Taine drive up, 
and turned back to open the gate for him. Another 
gentleman, whom she recognized as the Rev. Mr. Smiles, 
was in the buggy with him and immediately alighted. 
While the}^ were speaking Dan came to take cliarge of 
the horse, and Dr. Taine also got out to walk up the 
avenue with Hagar. 

''Upon my word, Miss Hagar, ’’ said Mr. Smiles, who 
seemed to be in the lively mood which she remembered 
as usual with him, "you have grown so handsome I 
scarcely knew you ! 

The young minister was dressed in a faultless suit of 
clerical black, over which he wore a fashionable chester- 
field. His high hat, his gloves, boots and silk umbrella, 
were of the latest pattern and best quality. He was of 
about the medium height, neither fat nor lean, but hav- 


HAGAE. 


31 


ing that fresh appearance peculiar to light complexion- 
ed Deople of his type ; he looked amiable and decidedly 
well nourished, states which are mutually dependent 
upon each other, and supply a substantial defence 
ajjcainst loss of appetite or temper. He w^as evidently an 
even, easy-going man, too much of a philosopher to 
worry about trifles, and too accustomed to carrying his 
point to let them stand in his way. With the air of be- 
ing thoroughly self-satisfied he coupled a serene confi- 
dence in his ability to make others believe in him. But 
his immobile, fleshy face was a non-conductor so far as 
his character was concerned, for it registered none of 
his thoughts and was but imperceptibly affected by his 
emotions. 

His remark embarrassed Hagar, but he deftly turned 
the conversation into easier channels, and soon put both 
herself and Dr. Taine in quite a jovial frame of mind 
by his flow of wit and good nature. 

Mrs. Taine was superlatively cordial in her words of 
welcome to Mr. Smiles, and said she hoped he had come 
for a longer stay than he had made on the former occa- 
sion. 

“You are very kind, my dear madame,’’ he replied 
graciously, “ but I am a sort of bird of passage who never 
can tell to-day where he will be to-morrow. Luckily, 
however, I am, while here, in the center of a district 
in which I have much to do, and I sincerely hope that 
I may enjoy a few days ’ repose in this quiet and de- 
lightful retreat before I make my presence known 
to those whose Cure I am. Then, with your permis- 
sion, I must be absent at intervals, and return to pass 
an odd day or two with you, as the caprice of my calling 
will allow. It is only thus that I can snatch a moment 
from my labors for social joys.” 

Ma’am Taine looked at him attentively with her sharp 
little eyes while he spoke, and thought him handsomer, 
if possible, than when she had last seen him. His voice 
really had a pleasant tone, and did not suffer in trans- 
mission to the old lady’s delighted ear. She said that 
she expected him to make himself quite at home, and 
that his convenience would be hers if he could content 
himself with such indifferent entertainment as she could 
offer him. 


32 


HAGAE. 


In answer to which Mr. Smiles replied that his ideal 
existed only in the quiet of a country life, if he could 
but share it with intelligent people. Dr. Taine was si- 
lent. He was probably a little weary, and felt no spec- 
ial interest in the polite combat. He presently excused 
himself and went up stairs to see James. Hagar also 
disappeared. 

The old lady talked on for some time, in fact until she 
was made aware that supper was nearly ready, and it 
occurred to her that Mr. Smiles might like to go to his 
room until the bell rang — ^laria had already taken uj) 
his satchel and overcoat, and was now directed to show 
him the way. 

Supper will be ready in a quarter of an hour, Mr. 
Smiles. You must let me know if you do not find every- 
thing to your liking,’’ said Mrs. Taine, detaining him. 

admit, my dear madam, that I am passably fastid- 
ious, but one would be compelled to invent a complaint 
in your house. None of the mansions at which I am 
welcome either here or in the East is more jfieasant to 
me than Chestnut Grove.” The minister evinced some 
experience as a gauger of character, for this fiourish 
sank deeply into the heart of his hostess. 

The chamber that had been set apart for him was a 
large and well furnished one on the second floor, adjoin- 
ing that occupied by James Taine. From a wide 
French window in the front of the room, there project- 
ed a small iron balcony. It was the middle one of three 
similar balconies on that floor, that on the right opening 
into James’s room. Mr. Smiles flung the window open 
as soon as he entered, remarking to the housemaid that 
he was fond of fresh air. 

After sundry brushings and ablutions he labored 
some minutes before the glass persuading his long 
wavy moustache to take a favorite twist. He then gave 
his hair a few final dabs with the brush, and proceeded 
to overhaul his coat-pockets, removing from them divers 
letters and papers which he stowed away in his satchel. 
Having taken out various toilet articles he locked and 
strapped the satchel securely and placed it in the spa- 
cious wardrobe which occupied one side of the room, 
hung up some of the clothing out of his portmanteau, 
and^ after locking the wardrobe, put the key into his 


HAGAR. 


33 


pocket. He whistled the tune of some hymn while thus 
engaged, and finally lit a cigar and went on the bal- 
cony to await the supper bell. 

Dr. Taine had told him of his son’s accident, but as 
soon as he stepped outside the window he heard them 
conversing on that subject. He saw by the reflection 
from the adjoining Avindow that had been left ajar, 
and what they said reached him as clearly as if he had 
been in the same room. The air was getting j^retty cool, 
but the moon and stars shone brightly, and he decided 
to linger for a time upon the balcony. 

“ Did you go to the hospital, father ? ” he heard a voice 
say, which he supposed was that of the son though he 
had not met him. 

“Yes,” replied Dr. Taine, ^‘and found the jmung man 
much better — in fact, he says he can go out to-morrow 
and that he will come to see you soon. He still main- 
tains silence regarding himself. 1 was astonished to 
hear what you told Dr. Warren about an assault made 
upon Hagar^ and to learn that this same man saved yon 
both. It is most strange ! ” 

“ It is true, then ? ” asked James excitedly. 

Yes,” Dr. Taine replied, “ the doctor asked him if he 
did not have an adventure earlier in the day, for he had 
heard of a young girl being rescued from a brutal at- 
tack, by a person answering his description. He ad- 
mitted that he was the man, repeated the circumstances, 
and inquired after the young lady’s health. He said 
the affair ended by her saving his life.” 

That is quite "true,” said James. Hagar told me 
that the villain had thrown the young man on the 
ground, and was trying to draw a knife to stab him 
when she knocked him senseless with a heavy staff. 
Most girls would have run away and left him to be mur- 
dered, though he had risked his life in their defence” 

They thought it strange that so gallant a young man 
should find it necessary to conceal his name and his 
home. 

When the supper bell rang and Dr. Taine rose to go, 
James said : — 

‘^Father, I have been planning for an important 
move.” 

^^Ytes? To California again ? ” 


34 


EAGAE. 


No sir, I did not mean that kind of a move. I require 
your concurrence, and perhaps your aid.’’ 

You may count on both to enable you to carry out 
any good resolution, my son. What is it you wish to 
do?” 

Since I have met with this accident I think I shall 
not become a soldier, but turn my attention to agricul- 
ture. I want to marry and take charge of the farm 
so that I can make a home. That is now my only am- 
bition ; but if I ever attain a competency Tvhich will 
supply me the needed leisure, I shall take up again the 
thread of my literary projects.” 

“ Such a course will fully coincide with my views, 
James, but I was not aware that you had yet made your 
choice of a wife. That, you know, is the most serious 
part of the business.” 

‘‘ So far as I am concerned my choice has long been 
made ; but I have not broached the question to her, 
because, as I said, I want your concurrence.” 

“ I would not step between my son and his choice un- 
less I had serious cause.” 

“ And have you not divined ? ” 

“ How could I ? I know nothing of your circle of ac- 
quaintances, and I have not heard you express a prefer- 
ence.” 

Why it is Hagar I love, — I have always loved her.” 

“ Hagar ! ” said Dr. Taine, starting back with a look 
of amazement. He had not had a suspicion that such 
a situation would ever come about, and James’s words 
produced a sudden and acute pain in the old man’s heart 
which seemed to pierce him through. James,” he con- 
tinued, Hagar is not for you — it cannot be: she is 
your sister ! ” 

My sister ? Only by adoption ; she is no relation 
to me; and surely our being reared under the same 
roof need not be a bar.” 

“Dismiss the thought, James,” said his father, firm- 
ly. “ Never mention this to Hagar, for it is most unsuit- 
able — it is out of the question.” 

“ How so ? why do you wish to balk me in this, 
about the only f awor I have ever asked of you ? ” 

“ Because I cannot approve of the union you propose.” 

“ Why not ? ” he hesitated a moment and then said — 
“ Is there some secret reason ? ” 


HAGAE. 


35 


The old gentleman shook his head. What, then, 
is the impediment ? ’’ As his father turned away with- 
out answering, he added excitedly : — 

“I tell you, father, if Hagar is willing she shall be 
mine, for there’s not another woman in the world like 
her.’' 

Dreading the effects of excitement upon his injured 
son, the Doctor let the matter drop, and entreated him 
to w^orry himself no moi’e about it for the i)resent. 
He then left the room. 

Oh I ho ! " exclaimed Mr. Smiles, Hagar is in de- 
mand, but under an embargo. Good ! Other people 
are always after my prizes ; I w^onder whose ticket 
will draw’ this one ? ” Such w’ere the thoughts of Mrs. 
Taine’s guest as he hastily descended to the supper 
loom. 


CHAPTER IV. 


At supper the conversation turned on the subject of 
the fire and Hagar’s adventure. After Dr. Taine had 
been speaking solemnly concerning the baseness to 
which a man must have sunk before he could bring him- 
self to commit such a crime as the one attempted on 
Sunday, Mr. Smiles lowered himself several degrees in 
the estimation of Dr. Taine and Mark by saying : 

“It is very shocking to hear of such occurrences, 
but they are, happily, uncommon. Whoever the man 
was, we must admit he showed fine discernment in seek- 
ing to carry off so fair a prize.” 

Kark looked at Dr. Taine, and it was plain to him that 
the old gentleman did not like the speech any more than 
he did. They endeavored to change the subject, by 
talking about the Army, the Navy, and the attitude of 
foreign powers ; but Mr. Smiles reverted with eccentric 
persistence to the former theme, and was i)articularly 
anxious to have a description of the knight errant who 
had won all hearts. 

“ Does he most resemble the immortal Don, or his no 
less immortal Squire ? ” 

He spoke in a lively manner that pleased his hostess 
exceedingly. 

The doctor described the young man he had visited ot 
the hospital in a few words, when Mr. Smiles said 

“ He may be a deserter, then ; or else a refugee slave. 
He must have some powerful motive for concealing his 
identity. There are Octoroons, they say, who are 
scarcely distinguishable from white men, and the black 
eyes and other points you have mentioned, sound rather 
suspicious. But, in any case you may be sure that he 
will expect Miss Hagar to fall in love with him,” added 
the handsome minister with an admiring glance towards 
Hagar, who was already somewhat embarrassed by 
being made the subject of so much talli. “ For,” he 


HAGAR. 


37 


continued, young ladies always fall in love with the 
brave fellows who preserve them from danger/^ 

“ Very true ! Very true indeed, Mr. Smiles,’^ said Mrs. 
Taine. 

Nobody else appeared to be much amused, but the 
parson continued complacently : — 

“ On consideration, nothing is more natural. I once 
knew of a very striking case of the kind : ” He proceeded 
to recount the story. “ There is an important fact in Con- 
nection with these cases,” he concluded, “ which should 
not be lost sight of, namely : — That the young lady who 
ds thus preserved could never know the joy of love at 
all but for the champion who saves her, ergo — whom 
should she love if not the one who had preserved to her 
the power of loving ? ” 

‘‘You would infer then,” said Mark pointedly, “that 
the lady in the present case must fall in love with and 
marry a deserter or a refugee slave — ^an octoroon who 
cannot be distinguished from a white man ? ” 

“I beg your pardon, Mr. Kilbourne,” replied Mr. 
Smiles with i)erfect good nature, “ I do not wish to in- 
fer anything of the sort. The tenacity with Which this 
young gentleman has kept back his name is a little sur- 
prising, you will admit. But, he may be a Russian 
prince in disguise, or the son of Uncle Abe Lincoln him- 
self for aught I know.” 

“ Perhaps,” said Hagar, rather seriously, “ as the 
subject of so much comment is expected to come here 
in a few days, we might wait until then to satisfy our cu- 
riosity. I think we are not likely to prove him either a 
slave or a deserter.” 

“ He is a singular person,” remarked Dr. Taine 
thoughtfully, “ singular in every respect. He is, seem- 
ingly, neither ignorant nor educated, polished nor un- 
couth ; but there's something genuine and straightfor- 
ward about him, and nothing that I could discern, to 
give color to the supposition that he had a guilty cause 
to conceal his identity. He has certainly laid us under 
heavy obligations, and T feel a lively interest in him. 
Perhaps the thin veil of mysteiy which now envelopes 
him will vanish sooner than we expect. He is evidently 
a young man of character who has a purpose, and so far 
as we can judge, it is not a bad one.” 


38 


HAGAR. 


Shortly after supper Mrs. Taine took her guest for a 
stroll on the lawu in the moonlight, leaving the doctor 
and Mark to their cigars in the dining room. Hagar 
hurhied up stairs to look after the invalid. Mr. Smiles 
expressed gi’eat satisfaction for Mrs. Taine’s adroitness 
in delivering him from an uncongenial spiwt which his 
suavity and good nature had failed to exorcise. 

“ To me, my dear madame,^’ he said, in a tone of good 
faith, “you are a much more substantial deliverer than 
the hero of shreds and patches of whom we have heard 
so much this evening. That fellow Kilbourne, whom 
1 am pleased to note, you do not like, is an awful bore. 
He looks at one as if he were contemplating manslaugh- 
ter, and talks like a pettifogging lawyer.’^ 

“ It is one of the lightest of my crosses, my dear Mr. 
Smiles, ” responded his companion, as she leaned con- 
fidingly on his strong arm, “ that I must submit to the 
presence of that person in my house. You cannot feel 
a greater antipathy for him than I do. When I say my 
house,’^ she continued, “ 1 say what is literally true • 
Dr. Taine has nothing. His Universality friends 
were mostly poor when he went over to them, and 
as I had a sufficient income of my own to meet all 
demands, he has spent his earnings, which were 
meagre enough for many years, in the cause of his sect, 
and to promote the interests of Abolition. The value 
of my property both in Cleveland and here has greatly 
increased in the last few years, to such an extent, in- 
deed, that I have wealth enough to see the world now, 
and to make quite a different figure from my present 
self. This life is too contracted for me and alwa^’s has 
been. I want to live in Boston, in London, and in Rome. 
I have no relatives except those I have acquired bv mar- 
riage. So I may as well enjoy the benefits that money 
alone can purchase, travel, experience and culture in, 
foreign lands. You must advise me, my dear Mr. 
Smiles, for you are the first and the only man I have 
ever met, whom I thought capable of aiding me in that 
way. \ou have been abroad — I remember your men- 
tioning it last Spring.’' She spoke with girlish eager- 
ness that inwardly amused her guest, who was fully 
alive to the grateful sensation she experienced in the 
rare treat of an attentive and sympathetic hearing. 


HAGAR. 


39 


“ Merely as a boy, when, I fear, it did me little good. 
I have often wished that I might enjoy the advantages 
of which you speak j but poor men, you know, my dear 
Mrs. Taine, must be content to labor on without en- 
couraging vain longings, in the narrow and ofttimes 
barren vine^^ard where their lot is cast. I agree with 
you, however, that those who have wealth have a right 
to enjoy it to the utmost, so long, of course, as they do 
not forget their duties as Christians. But will you al- 
low me to revert for a moment to Mr. Kilbourne. 
Is Miss Hagar in love with him ? — you will pardon 
my asking such a question.^’ 

‘‘No, indeed, she is only slightly acquainted with 
him. But 1 am glad you have put the question for 1 
think I noticed while you were with us in the spring, 
that you took a good deal of interest in ‘ Miss Hagar.’ ” 

“I do not deny it, but you must be possessed of an 
uncommon power of penetration to have remarked the 
fact, my dear madam.” 

“ Perhaps so, but I have remarked another fact 
which may be even more important if you are in 
earnest ” 

“ Yes ? \Yhat is that ? ” 

“ That she is greatly interested in you. She was not 
unmindful of your superiority over other men she had 
met, when you were here before. She had not counted 
on seeing you again, but I am certain that your unexpect- 
ed coming has not only revived the old interest but 
greatly increased it. You might have her for the 
asking.” 

“ You think so ? ” 

“ I am sure of it.” 

“ And may I count on your assistance ? ” he asked 
with affected anxiety which Mrs. Taine' readily accepted 
for genuine. 

“ With all my heart,” she replied, “ if you really wish 
it.” 

“ As you are fully aware, my dear madam,” he went 
on in a low, confidential voice, “ the obstacle at present 
will be my straightened finances. I shall not attempt 
to conceal from you what my wishes are, but—you 
know the adage — 

“‘Man proposes,’ and so forth?” said Mrs. Taine. 


40 


HAGAE. 


“Well, of course, you know best, and you must decide 
for yourself, so far as I see at present/’ 

She was on the point of telling him one or two impor- 
tant thoughts that were revolving in her brain, but she 
kept them back and gradually brought the conversation 
round to her favorite topic, the scandal of the neighbor- 
hood, in which Mr. Smiles seemed to take a lively 
interest. The cool breeze which had sprung up at sun- 
down had now died away, and the moonlit night was 
warm and balmy. Mrs. Taine appreciated the favors 
of Nature most thoroughly on that occasion, and felt a 
strong conviction that she was performing an important 
part in some vague romance. 

Meanwhile Mr. Smiles was the subject of a short but 
somewhat pointed discussion indoors. 

“No,” said Dr. Taine in reply to Mark Kilbourne’s 
question, “ I do not know much about him. He present- 
ed himself to me in the first instance with a letter of in- 
troduction from a member of my former congregation 
at Newberg, who has, for some years, been a resident of 
Boston. He has returned on the strength of the brief 
acquaintance then formed, and appears to be on good 
terms with the people of his persuasion in this neigh- 
borhood ; I heard several persons speak of him in the 
highest terms after he left here last spring.’^ 

“For my part,” Mark replied, “I don’t like him: 
to my material eye he wears the ear-marks of hypocrisy 
if not imposture. I should set him down for a wolf 
and take care he did not enjoy too free a range among 
lambs of mine.” 

“ Ah ! Mark, that sounds like prejudice. W^'e are 
prone to judge too hastily of the demerits of our fellow 
men. The best may possess peculiarities which are 
distasteful to us, but I believe, as a rule, that they are 
the safest who take the least trouble to conceal them.” 

“ I may be wrong ; but 1 profess some skill at spot- 
ting a scoundrel, and I should unhesitatingly class this 
slippery divine under that head. Like a deadly pill, 
he is the more dangerous from being sugar-coated.” 

“ He has at least one fervent admirer here,” said Dr. 
Taine, referring to his wife, “ and one who is not con- 
sidered overcredulous. Their religious views, I believe, 
are similar (one can scarcely say identical, I find, 


HAGAE. 


41 


of any two persons of average mental acquirements.) 
I susi^ect that he is fishing for a handsome subscription, 
which he is likely to find a very delicate point indeed 
on which to approach madam.” This suggestion seem- 
ed to amuse them. 

The cantankerous disposition of Mrs. Taine had 
caused an almost complete suspension of friendly inter- 
course between Chestnut Grove and the neighboring 
estates. But, as is frequently the case with people 
who are on bad terms with their immediate acquaint- 
ances, she could show great tenderness and amiability 
towards any one from a distance if she but received 
a good first impression. 

In the course of their walk she had initiated her rev- 
erend companion not only into the very sanctuary of 
her own domestic affairs, but also into that of others 
in whom he could not feel the remotest interest. After 
a scathing criticism, a sort of broad-side of shrapnels 
which swept ever^dhing before it, she paused at a rus- 
tic bench that stood in the shadow of an evergreen near 
the gate, and invited her guest to rest awhile. She 
sighed wearily as she took her place beside him, and 
continued her complaint: — 

“ Such are the people by whom I am surrounded, 
and you can imagine, my dear Mr. Smiles, how a woman 
of my highly sensitive and intellectual nature must 
oe affected by these opposite and uncongenial forces. 
Not a soul, even in my own house, to appreciate one 
of my lofty ideas ; not one that has either the capacity 
or the desire to grasp the divine mysteries which de- 
light my soul, or to share with me-^r learn from me, 
such sentiments as would tend, in time, to raise them 
to my level. The men and women of my own genera- 
tion have all gone mad on Abolition, Universalism, or 
some other hideous ’ism; and the younger ones are 
free-thinkers or infidels. Irreligion and ungodliness 
have thrown the country into civil war from w^hich, 
it is plain to the enlightened ones of Israel, it can never 
emerge except in fragments and in ruin. The cup of 
the scoffers is full, and only the righteous shall inherit 
the earth!” 

The old lady was evidently inclined to continue this 
harangue indefinitely since she was spurred up to her 


42 


HAGAR. 


declamatory pitch, but her companion was rather tired 
of it. After a suppressed — 

“ Dashed if the old woman is n’t a copper-head ! ” 
he led her gently from questions of doctrine and con- 
temporar}" history, back to the personal details she had 
touched upon and left unfinished. 

‘‘As our views are virtually identical on these sub- 
jects, my dear madam,” he continued after a few fiat- 
tering exclamations” would 3^ou not oblige me by con- 
tinuing the more than romantic incident you just men- 
tioned of the 3^oung Southerner and Miss La Salle ? 
His name, you said, was — ?” 

“Philip Leigh.” 

“ Yes, yes ; that is it. And his father was one of the 
richest planters in Louisiana ? ” 

“ He is so, ” said Mrs. Taine, Emphatically, “ and the 
ungrateful Philip has had every advantage that a 
Southern gentleman knows how to give his son.” The 
ease and spirit with which she reverted to this subject 
showed that it was congenial to her mind. She had 
noted as an unmistakable evidence of his good sense, 
that Mr. Smiles, though he must have very difierent 
opinions, had made no objections to her pro-Southern 
sentiments. She had long prided herself on being a 
“ Peace Democrat ” and an ardent admirer of “ Southern 
chivalry,” though it must be confessed that her ideas 
were sufficiently vague concerning both. 

“I was telling you,” she continued, “that he studied 
military science in France after graduating at West 
Point. While there he attracted the attention of the 
Empress and was introduced at Court. Well, some time 
before South Carolina resolved to secede he fell out 
with his father concerning the attitude of the South, and 
declared his intention of using his sword for the Union 
in case the states rights doctrine should bring on a war. 
A quarrel of the bitterest kind was the result, and he 
came north just a month before the fall of Fort Sumter. 
He had no sooner made known his loyalty at Washing- 
ton than he was given an important commission by the 
Government, which brought him into Ohio. At Cleve- 
land he was welcomed by a few people who had known 
him at West Point and in New Orleans, and at one of 
their houses met this Miss LaSalle, with whom, it 


HAGAR. 


43 


seems, he fell desperately in love. They were married a 
few weeks after they became acquainted, and the old 
saw is exemplified in his case — he ‘ repents at leisure,’ 
they say.” 

^^Here is material, certainly, for a romance,” ex- 
claimed Mr. Smiles. “And you know this interesting 
young patriot ? ” 

“ Oh, yes, ” she replied, with a cynical smile, “ and 
hate him cordially ! His is a double-dyed secession, 
i'rom his father, and from his fathers cause, and for 
such a woman, too ! He is already mad with jealousy, 
and a friend of mine who lives near them teUs me it is 
not without good cause.” 

“ I should like to meet him. Does he ever visit you 
here ? ” 

“No; he and James are friends, but he knows I 
don’t like him, and has not been here to call for toonths. 
Hagar likes his wife but I have discouraged their inter- 
course. You might see him any day at Newberg if you 
feel sufiftcient curiosity : but they say he is dull and un- 
sociable ; his only amusement being the game of chess, 
and his soldiering his only employment. You can 
(h’aw him out, however, if 3^011 only talk Union and anti- 
slavery and don’t let him catch 3^ou admiring his wife. ” 

“ Dut who was Miss La Salle ? ” asked Mr. Smiles, af- 
fecting not to notice her closing words. 

Mrs. Taine’s sneers and depreciation in relation to 
^Irs. Leigh, were altogether gratuitous. She Imd 
never been on friendly terms with the La Salles, who 
were for many years near neighbors of her father, for 
they had not considered her a pleasant person either as 
Miss Duncan or since she became Mrs. Taine. They 
had never been so rich as the Duncans, but were more 
refined by nature and hy culture, and far more amiable. 

“ She has been an orphan for some years,” continued 
Mrs. Taine. “Her .parents were very poor, but proud, 
and she was their only child. The}" claimed to be de- 
scended from the famous French explorer Chevalier 
La Salle. Of course we all know that it may be so, but 
as m}" poor father used to say, ‘ the descent must have 
been through very doubtful channels.’ Josephine has 
nothing to recommend her but a pretty face and certain 
frivolous accomplishments.” 


44 


HAGAR. 


Josephine, then, is her name ? It is a favorite with 
me : you did not mention it before,’’ said Mr. Smiles. 

“ It is very French, you know, and I can’t say that I 
like it. Prior to her marriage she was living with an 
invalid aunt who was poor but moved in the best society 
of Cleveland. She has recently died, and a friend of 
mine who lived with her for some time, tells me that 
Josephine was jilted by a young Southerner of very 
high family, while on a visit to relatives of her father’s 
in the South some six or seven years ago — not without 
being smirched, too, they say ! ” said she, with that 
peculiar emphasis and rising inflection on ^ they say ’ 
which ever characterizes the malicious gossip, and es- 
pecially the old one. 

“ Poor girl ! exclaimed the missionary with an ex- 
pression of earnest concern. Then changing his tone 
to one of keen interest, he enquired : — 

“And how did Captain Leigh make her acquaint- 
ance ? ” 

“ I thought I told you — ^at an entertainment in Cleve- 
land. There were several versions of the affair at the 
time — ^but, though I may not like a person, I pay very lit- 
tle attention to gossip. I did hear it was love at 
first sight, but some said, on his part, while others de- 
clared that she was the victim aiid he onlj^ married her 
to console her. Thej- are wretchedly unhappy, I be- 
lieve ! 

They were interrupted by the clatter of a horse’s hoofs 
and the appearance of a horseman at the gate. Be 
leaned over and opened it as if familiar with the latcli, 
and, without noticing the gossips, entered and trotted 
rapidly up the avenue. 

Mrs. Taine was in a quandary. Who in the world 
could it be at that time of night ? Of course she must 
hurry to the house at once to investigate this mysterious 
arrival. Father Taine and Mark^ hearing the horse, 
came to the door, and both were as much delighted as 
surprised to grasp the hand of Captain Leigh. 

“I have only just heard of James’ accident. How 
is he ? ” said the Captain, anxioiisly. 

“ He is badly hurt,” replied Father Taine, “but is get- 
ting on favorably.” 

“ I went to Columbus on Monday, and have had no 


HAGAR. 


45 


news except the war news while away. I received the 
first intimation of James’s misfortune in a letter from 
my wife. 1 hope I may be allowed to see him ? ” 

Mrs. Taine and her guest now came up the verandah 
steps, and the former marched directly into the sitting- 
room saying as she went: 

“ Won’t 3 ’oii all come in where we can see who you 
are?” They j.romptly complied, and when she recog- 
nized Captain lieigli, she gave him the tips of her fin- 
gers with icy formality and said : — 

“How do you do, Mr. Leigh.” 

It was nine o'clock, and Mark and Captain Leigh made 
haste to go to their friend’s room as soon as Hagar 
bi'ought his permission. When they were gone. Father 
Taine retired to his library where he labored usually 
until after midnight, and Mr. Smiles found himself alone 
with the ladies — a situation in which he seemed not at 
all lonely. 

At his request Hagar went to the piano and jdayed two 
or three light selections in true country-girl fashion. 
Thougli she jiossessed musical talent she had lacked the 
oppoT'tiinity for development. The young minister snc- 
ceet^ed her at the instrument, and after having commend- 
ed her undoubted taste, which he thought it a sin to have 
neglected, he dashed off some of the gems of Beethoven 
and Stephen Heller in truly artistic style. He then 
sang in a full and rich baritone, selections from reveral 
operas, a popular ballad or two, and concluded his pro- 
gramme with a spirited rendition of the Marseillaise in 
very fair French. 

His performance was sufficiently eff*ective to have 
charmed a much larger and more discerning company. 
Hagar was deeply impressed, and made no attemnt t(^ 
conceal the fact. Mrs. Taine was delighted. During 
liis former visit he had played for them, but had excused 
himself from singing on account of what he called a 

parson’s sore throat,” which then troubled him. In 
the course of his performance this evening Mrs. Taine 
had resolved an idea she had long cherished into a deter- 
mination : she would offer to make him her principal 
heir. 

Hagar thought that her withdrawal would be agree- 
able to at least one of the trio, so she excused herself 


46 


EAGAR. 


and was leaving the room when she was met at the door 
by Captain Leigh and Mark. 

‘‘Ah! Miss Hagar,” said Philip, ^^you are a great 
stranger, and I have a commission from Josephine to 
ask you why you do not come to see her. ’’ 

“You must tell her it is not because I do not want to 
see her,’’ replied Hagar. “She is my dearest friend, 
and the next time Father Taine goes to Newberg I will 
accompany him. ” 

“Mrs. Taine has been telling me your wonderful 
history. Captain Leigh,” said Mr. Smiles, approaching 
the young soldier. 

“It were better untold — I am sorry she mentioned 
it,” replied Philip, abruptl^^. 

“True patriotism, my dear sir, may be modest, but 
it need not resent praise, I hope, nor hide itself under a 
bushel. What a noble example you have set to the re- 
bellious sons of the South !'” 

“I doubt it, sir,” said Philip, looking the parson 
calmly in the eye. “ Had I a son who treated me as I have 
my father, I should kill him like a viper that attacked 
me. The die is cast : I have deserted my father ana 
his cause for what I deem, rightly or wrongly, my coun- 
try and my duty. But I want no praise at this stage of 
the game ; my conscience often smites me for what I 
have done. I would to Heaven that I could bury this blot 
out of my sight, but I shall not waver ; my path is 
marked out, and though it lay through adamant I will 
hew away while life lasts. ” 

“ To become converted to a good cause, to the right, 
was ever accounted honorable,” observed Mr. Smiles, ur- 
banely. 

But Philip was restless to get away, and made no re- 
ply. Turning to Mark, he said in a low voice : — 

“ Mark, I want you to come as far as the gate witli 
me, I have something special to say to you.” 

“Are you starting for the front soon, Captain 
Leigh ? ” asked the minister. 

“ I cannot say, we are drilling recruits and awaiting 
orders.” 

“ They tell me that you are an adept in the science of 
arms ” pursued the parson. 

“ No !” replied Philip emphatically, “ like many in 
that and other professions, I only know the alphabet.’* 


HAGAR. 


47 


“ Impossible ! exclaimed Mark in reply to something 
the Captain said as they walked down the avenue. 

‘^It is quite true,” he replied. ^^My cousin very 
shrewdly sent his letter to a mutual friend in New York, 
and its contents are full and conclusive. I am to be ab- 
ducted and carried alive into Kentucky if possible ; but, 
if this fails I am to be shot dead wherever found. You 
heard what I said to night ? I learned the lesson from 
the father I was speaking of — this is his order.” 

And what do you think of it ? ” asked Mark. 

That those who are to execute the order will find it 
too difficult to carry me away living, and to earn their 
money more easily will assassinate me — perhaps on my 
way home to-night. 

“Have you such a presentiment?” asked Mark, his 
face turning deadly pale at the thought. 

“ Oh, no ; not so bad as that. I don’t think I ever had 
a presentiment in my life, I scarcely know what it 
means. I have no great love of life, but I don’t want to 
fall by the hand of an assassin. For myself I do not re- 
gard this plot with alarm : but others are in dangeo:^ 
No life is to be spared that stands in the way of my tak- 
ing off, and what would be more likely than for them to 
come to my house at night and murder Josephine lest 
her cries should arouse the neighborhood ? Being in an 
enemy’s country their motto will be silence and des- 
patch, and they will scruple at nothing to compass their 
design. But I would rather pay the full penalty than let 
the authorities know that my father has decreed me 
such a fate. What can I do to protect others without 
having it appear that I am menaced ? ” 

“ I am sorry, Phil, that you ever moved out of Cleve- 
land,” said Mark. 

“ My cousin expresses the same regret, but I think 
without cause. In my opinion locality does not govern 
danger, it may fall or fail anywhere. ” 

“ Do you think the desperadoes are in the vicinity ? ” 
“It appears that they have held their commission 
since the Rebel reverse at Pittsburg Landing, but have 
been baffled by my movements.’^ 

“I certainly think,” said Mark, “that the General 
ought to be informed of this. He need not know your 
father is in the plot, but he would not forgive you if 


48 


HAGAR. 


you failed to let him know that you are seriously threat- 
oned. 

“ No, Mark : not one word, I entreat. If once it be- 
comes 'known, I must produce the evidence in my pos- 
session, which would j)robably do little to help me and 
would brand my father with eternal infamy. I rely on 
your silence. To-morrow I will write to the General 
*and ask to be relieved from my present duty and ordered 
to the front. Ah, Mark 1” he continued as he grasped 
his friend’s hand at the gate to say good night, “1 
wish I were like you instead of the outcast tiiac i am. 
My heart almost fails me at times and I doubt every- 
thing: — the cause to which I have devoted my honor 
and my life; the friends who surround me — tiveii mo 
being who is more dear to me than all the world — 

“ Pshaw ! Phil : — what folly — thought you had lil- 
tered that poison from your mind long ago. You wi’ong 
her virtue even more deeply than your own judgment. ” 

‘‘ I often think my mind must be diseased, or that it 
bears the taint of the vitiated athiosphere in whicli ! 
have lived so, long where doubt and suspicion linger: 
twin occupants of the brain. At times my confidence 
wavers like my resolution ; then hideous images goad 
me to madness. To seek and find the means of torturin g 
myself seems to be my only genius. But let that pass. 
We have been like brothers, Mark, and I want you to be 
a brother indeed to me while I am away. 'You must take 
care of Josephine, be her guardian and protector until 
I return — but if I never do return — ” 

“Why Phil, you know I am going into the army my- 
self. What nonsense you are taiking ! You are gloomy 
and out of sorts, and must cheer up. I’ll come down 
and spend a day with you soon ; it’s too late to try to 
drive all this rubbish out of your head to-night, so I’ll 
take a day for it especially. Really, if a stranger 
should hear you talking like this he would think you 
insane. Don’t borrow trouble, Phil : life’s too short. 
A care buried is worth a dozen resurrected. But I 
won’t lecture you at this hour as you have some distance 
to travel, and I must get back and see my patient com- 
fortable for the night.” 


CHAPTER V. 


Until long after midnight Doctor Taine lingered in the 
library and seemed to be both mentally and physically 
depressed. Several volumes were lying open on the 
table within his reach, passages in which he was com- 
paring with something he found in the large book that 
was drawn near him under the broad lamp shade, and 
wdiich chiefly occui)ied his attention. 

He frequently paused and pressed his hands to his 
forehead wdth deep drawn sighs that were the utterance 
of a far deeper dejection. He had addressed himself to 
his usual task in the earlier part of the evening wdth 
about his ordinary spirit. But the prehistoric and his- 
toric analogies w^hich he had been examining for some 
lime in connection wdth the accepted doctrines of 
fuodern Christian theology, failed on this occasion to 
attract his mind to the same concentrated efforts as 
formerl}". In spite of his best endeavors to avert so 
unseemly an amalgamation, he found the heroes of 
mythology and the personifications of Egyptian and 
Ihiddhist theology inextricably involved with the saints 
and historians of the Church ; and, at length, these 
and all the rest mixed up wdth the dramatis per- 
sonae of his owm domestic and professional comedy. 
There seemed to him, more than on any other occasion 
that he could remember, a delusive intangibility about 
everything, both past and present, and he felt a certain 
alarm at the chaotic state in which all appeared. W'as 
it his mind that had produced the chaos, or was it the 
external chaos acting upon his mind ? 

“ Surely,’’ he thought in his perplexity, “ I have reason 
enough to ponder ! My fireside deserted by the dear 
ones wdio should nestle here in comfort and peace, my 
heart steeped in wormwood inStead of domestic love ! 
What a rank and infernal inconsistency for a man who 
cannot keep order in his owm household to pretend to 
teach others the way to Heaven ! And is not this the 
natural outcome of these theologies ? They all strive 


50 


HAGAR. 


to compass the world to come at the expense of the 
world that is here ; but if we cannot learn to live In this 
world, how shall we know how to live in a better one ? ” 

The doctor had long since become aware that to what- 
ever extent the doctrine of justification bj faith might 
be carried in the case of others, it had in it no consola- 
tion for him. The conviction that religion meant action 
rather than mere belief was growing stronger in his 
mind from day to day, and he had named the fact from 
his pulpit much to his hurt among the orthodox. He 
w^as conscious of some irreligion in his own life, and 
had no doubt his present suffering was a partial pun- 
ishment for it ; but to what extent could past errors 
be corrected by consistent effort to that end? Could 
they ever be obliterated, or was the sinner, like Sisy- 
phus, forever burdened with a woe that will roll back 
upon and torture him ? 

Some people,’’ he mused, “ even among my own con- 
gregation, call me an infidel. Somebody has informed 
them that I read the works of infidels, and that the fla- 
vor of those works comes out in my own discourse. 1 
am not certain that this accusation is devoid of truth, 
for if the definition of infidelity given by the chief of 
these offenders be correct, I must be classed with them : 
— He says that an infidel is one w^ho pretends to believe 
what ih fact he does not believe at all. Well, then, I am 
an infidel, for I tacitly admit every day of my life belief 
in legends and dogmas which I secretly discredit and 
suspect.” 

This aspect of the case was quite a new one in the doc- 
tor’s contemplation, and caused him much uneasiness ; 
for he was a true and conscientious man according to his 
light and understanding, and he doubted not that if 
such was in truth his owm condition, the same might be 
said of many others in the pulpit. 

'' Yes,” he resumed, '' it is even so. The masses de- 
mand myths, and we satisfy the demand at the price of 
our convictions and our honor, to secure their support.” 

Though he had been subject of late to severe attacks 
of despondency, he had never felt so cast down as on 
this occasion, and it was after three o’clock wdien he 
put out the lamp, and, wrapping his warm dressiiiig 
gown snugly about him soon fell into a heavy slumbei in 
his easy chair. 


HAGAE. 


51 


There Hagar found him when she came in at seven 
o’clock with his cocoa and toast. He awoke as she 
opened the door. 

“ Ah ! I have caught you, you naughty, naughty, old 
man I ” she exclaimed as she approached and patted his 
face affectionately Avith both her plump little hands. 
“ You have sat up all night again after what you prom- 
ised me — it is very wrong of you, dear father.’' She 
threw her arms around his neck and kissed him fondly 
as she si)oke, and then stroked his brow which she 
thought Avas rather feverish. 

“ No, my darling,” said Dr. Taine, ‘‘ I was thinking 
about subjects which troubled me, and 1 felt no inclina- 
tion to go to bed. But if you Avill forgive me this time, 
I promise to be better in future. How delicious this 
cocoa is : I should not have it but for you. Do you 
think that you will one day Avish to leave me ? ” 

“ No, dear father, never ! ” she exclaimed as she noted 
a slight tremor in his voice. She meant to be sincere, 
bat the moment she had spoken the words she was con- 
scious of a presentiment which belied them. She Avas 
about to add something by way of qualification, but was 
prevented by Dr. Taine who seemed to be relishing the 
light breakfast she had brought him. 

“ Hagar, as I have an early engagement in the city 
this morning, will you tell Dan to have my buggy ready 
in half an hour. I forgot to mention it last night.” 

It Avas a clear bracing morning, and as Hagar crossed 
the lawn to repeat the message to Dan whom she saw 
coming in with the milk pails, she was met by Mr. Smiles 
who was sauntering about the grounds smoking his ci- 
gar. 

“ Good morning. Miss Hagar,” said the minister, sa- 
luting her gallantly. I see you are, like myself, an 
early riser. The morning is undoubtedly the best part 
of the day, for then all nature, like the human mind, is 
refreshed by the night’s repose. It is then that the in- 
telligence expands and takes impressions which are im- 
possible at any other time. Have you come out for a 
walk?” 

She deliA^ered her message to Dan and Avas strolling 
down the avenue in company Avith Mr. Smiles when he 
said : — 


62 


HAGAK. 


“ I was interested in the account Mrs. Taine gave me 
of that young man who came here last night — Mr. 
Leigh. Have you known him very long 
“ Over a year, replied Hagar. 

- “ 1 was sorry, ” continued Mr. Smiles, “ not to have a 
better opportunity to converse with him ; he seems a 
brilliant fellow, but 1 should say he is rather eccentric. ” 
“ He is thought peculiar, I believe. ” 

“ You must make me acquainted with him. Miss 
Hagar ; could I not call with you ? You mentioned last 
night that his wife is a friend of yours. ’’ 

‘‘ Y^es, and I am anxious to go and see her. But 
Father Taine hasn’t time to take me. Ma’am Taine dis- 
likes Josephine and declines to visit her, and I am 
afraid to go alone. ” 

We must try and prevail on her ; and if we succeed, 
may I join the party ? ” 

“Ma’am Taine must answer that, Mr. Smiles.” 

“ Then I’ll ask her at breakfast. ” 

They presently heard the bell, and on returning to the 
house met Dr. Taine on the porch. After the usual 
greetings Mr. Smiles said : 

“I was struck with the appearance and bearing of 
that extraordinary young patriot who called last night, 
and should much like to have a better acquaintance 
with him. ” 

“He is reserved and dislikes any special attention, 
and it is probably owing to his modesty in this respect 
that he excites universal interest. Still, you can readily 
become better acquainted with him. Has Hagar told 
you his history ? ” asked Dr. Taine, as they went in to 
breakfast 

“No, I heard it from Mrs. Tainej before his arrival 
last night. I think his case is unparalleled.” 

“ It is explained by a simple circumstance : though to 
the manor born, he was too enlightened by experience 
and observation beyond and outside the South to be 
blinded by the sophistries of the Eebel cause. He had 
long since refused to join the order of the “Golden 
Circle,” because he discerned the treasonable ambition 
of its designs ; and I understand that he worked with a 
zeal that was truly noble to prevent the demoniac 
frenzy of Beauregard which he rightly foresaw would 


HAGAE. 


53 


set the country in flames and turn the beautiful South 
into a wilderness. You may hear some of copper-head 
proclivities who will tell you that it is a case of cap- 
tivity to a woman’s beauty ; but the truth is that his 
allegiance to his country was full grown long before he 
met her. She may be a reward for his fidelity, but she 
was certainly not the cause of it.” 

“ The wife of the Captain, then, is remarlmble for her 
beauty ? ” asked Mr. Smiles. 

‘‘ Nobody can deny that she has a very pretty face,” 
said Mrs. Taine, “ but I’m sure I, for one, do not think 
her remarkably beautiful. Still Captain Leigh saw 
enough of the world before he married her : he ought 
to have known what he was about.” 

Hagar soon afterward found an occasion to express 
her opinion that, though Mrs. Leigh’s beauty was re- 
markable, her true merit lay in the goodness and gen- 
tleness of her character. Mrs. Taine took offence at 
this amiable praise which seemed to challenge her own 
statement, and the subject was dropped. 

After breakfast Dr. Taine and Mark started for the 
city. It was a little after nine o’clock when they reached 
the suburbs, and as they were passing through a square 
that was the daily scene of a produce market, they saw a 
crowd assembled in the open space and heard loud 
threatening language which seemed to indicate that a 
fight was in progress. The doctor stopped at the road- 
side, and as the crowd surged in that direction, Mark 
stood up in the carriage and could see that a solitary in- 
dividual who appeared to be struggling for his life, was 
being maltreated by the others, while the air was rent 
by their derisive yells and laughter. 

Mark leaped from the baggy, and was quickly followed 
by Dr. Taine, who called a boy to hold his horse. Mark 
penetrated the throng far enough to see that the butt 
of the mob was a young man, that he was pinioned, 
and was being very roughly dealt with. The partici- 
pants in the assault, as well as the noisy bystanders, 
acted as if they thought him lawful pre^^ : while the 
men spattered him with mud or quids of tobacco, the 
boys, and even a few old crones, were pelting him with 
potatoes and other missiles, and doing and saying all 
they could to heap insult and opprobrium upon him. 


54 


HAGAE. 


Not a policeman was to be seen. The approach, of 
Father Taine was remarked by some of the roughs, 
and when he asked in the spirit of a peacemaker what 
the unfortunate man had done to call down their wrath, 
a thick-necked fellow, who seemed to be a ringleader, 
bawled out : 

“ What has he done ! w^hy he’s cooked his own goose, 
haint ’e boys ? He’s a blasted Mormonite and comes 
here — ^here into the sacred precincts of this market, 
to give us his chin-music on that tack — and we haint 
goin’ to have it, be we boys ? ” 

“ No ! ” yelled the crowd, with renewed energy. 

‘‘ He says he’s a saint — I wonder who canonized him ! ” 
screeched one of the huckster-women who flourished 
a piece of bed cord ready-noosed to slip around the 
Mormon’s neck. “ Just let me come at him,” she shriek- 
ed with flendish zeal, “I’ll soon put him through the 
ceremony.” 

As yet Dr. Taine had not been able to catch sight of 
the object of the rabble’s ire. Mark now rejoined 
him saying that the mob were committing a flagrant 
crime and that they must summon the police. A man 
Avho was taking no part was sent with all haste to the 
nearest station and the two gentlemen remained for 
the purpose of preventing what seemed likely to prove 
a tragedy. 

“ Come on, my hearties ! ” cried the coarse ruffian 
who had previously replied to Doctor Taine. “ Come 
on now; lift him up high and dry and let’s give him 
a nice present, a coat of tar and feathers ! That’s the 
thing for birds of his kind. Then we’ll treat him to 
a first class ride on a rail ; for he’s a poor cuss, used to 
hoofin’ it without shoes on ; he’s not used to luxuries, 
but his prophet, my old cronie, Joe Smith, knew how 
to appreciate such things, and it will elevate the saint’s 
soul to copy arter his master ! ” 

A wild shriek of laughter was the crowd’s reply. 
Some of the roughs who were nearest the Mormon, 
seized him, and carried him by main force through the 
opening made by the mob. 

Father Taine now had a full view of the Mormonj and, 
turning to Mark, said excitedly : 

“ Why Mark, its the young man from the hosiatal, the 
man who saved Hagar ! ’ 


HAGAR. 


65 


Are yon sure of that ? ” asked Mark. 

“lam!’’ 

“ Then this shall cease at once. Look here, my men,^’ 
he said, with authority, “You are committing a crim- 
inal act, and if you don’t put that man down. I’ll make 
you suffer for it.” 

“ Oh ! will you ? ” roared the stalwart leader. “ And 
who are you, my fine clad youth ? ” 

“No matter who 1 am,” replied Mark. “ The man yon 
are abusing is the hero of the great fire on Sunday ; 
don’t you see the scars on his face.” 

“ Yes,” urged the doctor in a voice of entreaty, “ he 
is doubly a hero, for he saved the lives of my daughter 
and my son that day. For shame ! for shame ! to mal- 
treat a helpless felfowman!” He was near enough 
now for the Mormon to hear his voice. The poor fel- 
low was exhausted and had ceased to struggle when his 
tormentors stood him on the ground and eyed him with 
curiosity. They had all heard the story of the “ Globe” 
1 eporter being saved by a man who kept back his name, 
and many among them knew the venerable minister by 
sight. The bystanders were now inclined to side with 
the Mormon, but again the leading bully sprang for- 
ward, exclaiming in a mocking voice : 

“ Oh ! you don’t say, do you ? He saved your 
daughter ! Did he ? Well then, I’ll just give Mm one 
for his own salvation to grow on.” 

He pressed towards the helpless young man with the 
evident intention of giving Mm a terrible blow with his 
sledge-like fist ; but Mark stopped him. 

“ You cowardly ruffian ! would you strike a man with 
his hands bound ? ” 

“ Yes ! ” the saucy rascal replied, “ or loose, either ! ” 
And so saying he struck out with all his might at Mark’s 
head. The latter deftly warded off* the blow, and re- 
turned one on his assailant’s temple that felled him to 
the ground. The sympathy of the crowd was so much 
divided by this time that a majority was in favor of the 
l ight side, and before the other bullies could attack Mark, 
the police arrived and put most of them to flight by the 
mere act of appearing on the scene. 

“Here’s our business,” said the sergeant: “Who 
struck this man ? ” 


56 


HAGAR. 


replied Mark” He attacked me, and I knocked 
him down in self-defense.” 

“No explanations! You can make them to the Jus- 
tice. Come along.” He laid his hand on Mark, and the 
other policeman kept back the crowd. Hr. Taine at- 
tempted to tell the sergeant about the violent scene they 
had witnessed, but he waved him hack with an injunc- 
tion to keep his evidence for the police court. As he was 
proceeding to take the names and addi-esses of some ol’ 
the bystanders whom he intended to summon as wit- 
nesses, the man on the ground began to recover con- 
sciousness, and the young Mormon, who had just told 
Dr. Taine that he was assaulted because he ventured 
to preach the Christian religion, pointing to the fallen 
bully said : 

“That man is the one who attacked your daughter. 
He has shaved off his beard, and is differently dressed, 
but I know he is the man.” By this time the ruffian had 
staggered to his feet and was trying to steal away un- 
noticed. 

“ It is a serious charge, but are you certain ? ” 
asked Dr. Taine, in a whisper. 

“ As I hope for a hereafter, I swear to you that 1 am 
certain ! ” 

“Detain that man,” said Dr. Taine to the sergeant. 
“ He is not only at the bottom of this difficulty, but is 
wanted for a still more heinous crime.” The charge 
against him was repeated to the officer who had already, 
in common with the rest of the force, received instruc- 
tions from the chief touching this matter. The police- 
men looked well-pleased with their morning’s work, and 
marched their prisoners off to the Central Station with 
a good deal of swagger. 

Justice Coles was in his court-room and the regular 
morning session of his court w^as about to begin ; but 
he w’as a personal friend of Dr. Taine’s as well as a 
member of his congregation, and on catching sigDt of 
him and Mark Kilbourne among the rabble in the hall, 
came out to inquire what w^as the trouble. From what 
he gleaned, he ordered the release of Mark, and the com- 
mittal of the leader of the rioters (who gave his name 
as Adam Joyce) for hearing next day. Joyce was taken 
away to the cells at once, and the Justice Invited the 


HAGAR. 


57 


doctor, Mark, and the Mormon into a private room, tin* 
latter individual, owing to his morning’s adventure, T;re- 
senting a pitiable appearance. 

‘‘What is your name, young man?” asked Justice 
Coles, looking at him curiously after comments by both 
Mark and the doctor regarding Hagar’s rescue and the 
tire. 

“ Spencer,” he replied briefly. 

^‘Your given name ?” 

“ Cliarles.” 

“ \ our place of residence and your present address ? ” 
pursued the judge, jotting down his answers. 

“My home is in Salt Lake City, Utah, my present 
address, a sailors’ boarding house in Erie street, this 
city. I only went there from the hospital this morning, 
and did not notice the number.” 

“You have good grounds for this charge?” 

“ Yes, sir, I am so certain that he is the man I would 
stake my life upon it.” 

“ Well then, I hope you will be able to bring forwarci 
sufiicient evidence to convict him. We will give the. 
case a preliminary hearing at ten to-morrow morning.’ 

They separated shortly afterwards, Mark going to 
the headquarters of the State troops, and the doctor 
taking Spencer in his carriage to the Tabernacle. 

The private quarters of the minister at his place of 
worship, were pleasant and well appointed; they had 
evidently been constructed with a view to equal com 
fort and convenience. The library was carpeted with 
Brussels, and furnished in walnut j handsome and well- 
fllled book-cases stood between the windows on one 
side of the room, while on the other the walls were hung 
with the latest charts of Palestine and the Roman 
Empire, and several flne steel engravings of Biblical 
subjects. The surroundings indicated the cultured 
thoughtfulness and easy finances of the doctor’s sup- 
porters. 

Spencer had never seen anything of the sort before. 
He had only known the naked austerity of the back- 
woods where Spartan plainness and simplicity are un- 
iversal for the reason that Athenian luxuries are out of 
reach, and he regarded all these trappings as indicative 


58 


HAGAR 


of the sway of the Scarlet Woman/^ The contrast 
between this and the small adobe shanty with slab 
benches familiar to him, was irritating, and he resented 
it with vivid if suppressed disgust. 

Dr. Taine showed him to an inner room, where he 
found all the conveniences of a gentleman’s boudoir, that 
he might repair, as far as Vashiiig and brushing could, 
the damage he had sulfered from the mob. All this, to 
the eyd of the missionary, was but further proof of the 
worldliness and vanity of the Babylonians, which meant 
everybody except tlie members of his own sect. 

The worldly appliances, however, helped to improve 
his appearance considerably, and when he i*etumd to 
the library he found the doctor sitting before a cheerful 
anthracite fire awaiting him. 

congraulate you, Mr. Spencer, that you were not 
seriously hurt, ” the doctor said cordially. Sit down 
and let us talk awhile. My plans for the morning have 
been broken up by this occurrence, and we shall now 
enjoy a few moments without interruption. As I was 
saying, I knew your father well for several years before 
he joined the Mormon prophet, and it strikes me as 
somewhat remarkable that you, his son, should come 
here now as an apostle of his sect and make me in a mo- 
ment so greatly your debtor. The circumstaiice is one 
of extraordinary interest, is it not ? ” 

“It is as surprising to myself as to any one,” the 
young man replied, thoughtfully. 

“ But why were you so persistent in the concealment 
of your name ? ” 

“ It turns out to have been entirely useless ; but my 
object was to prevent people from confounding a per- 
sonal act, into which I was forced by circumstances, 
with the sacred duty I have come here to perform. I 
did not wish to give them the opportunity of saying that 
the Mormon missionary sought to make himiself con- 
spicuous by any means whatever outside his work as 
a minister of truth, and I am sorry that to-day’s trouble 
has given our enemies this advantage.” 

1 >r. Taine hoped that he would not encourage so bad 
ss opinion of mankind as to suppose the}^ could ascribe 
base motives to one who dashed into the flames to save 
a fellow being, and gave it as his belief that so soon as 


HAGAE. 


59 


it became known that the Mormon missionary and the 
hero of the fire were one, he would be able to prosecute 
his mission in peace. 

I shall rejoice if your prediction prove true, but 1 
have serious doubts,” replied the Mormon. The peo- 
])le of Ohio hardened their hearts against us long ago, 
and they are not likely to soften them in a day, espec- 
ially in such times as these. ” 

“ At least, I will promise to do my best to insure you 
a peaceable hearing while you remain here, for I hold 
that any man who is sober and rational has a right to 
express his views in this free land of ours, and the only 
alternative of the public, or any partof it, is not to listen, 
to go its way, if the opinions he supports are obnoxious. 
Mob violence is always bad and generally has the oppo- 
site effect from what is intended — it may, and often 
does, destroy truly good and useful men ; it gives color 
to the plea of persecutfdn and martyrdom so often 
raised by the champions of dangerous heresies, and 
thereby prolongs the existence of the evil institutions 
which, left to themselves, vcould soon perish and be for- 
gotten. ” 

I apprehend that you make a covert reference to our 
cause ; and, without discussing its merits,! have no hes- 
itation in saying that w’^e have always been most flour- 
ishing when hardest pressed by enemies without and 
within. We have growm fat on persecution : that was 
the Lord’s way of scorning the machinations of the un- 
godly wiio injured us. ‘Many are the afflictions of the 
righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ 
At the time of the martyrdom of the prophet, Joseph 
Smith, and the destruction of our beautiful Capitol, 
Nauvooi, it looked for a while, as I have often heard my 
father say, that complete dissolution Avas at hand. But 
such appearances only belied the designs of God con- 
cerning his people Israel, and a very brief period under 
his guidance was sufficient to render us doubly as rich 
and numerous, and more united than ever before.” The 
young missionary spoke with fervent enthusiasm. 

Dr. Taine, in answ^er said that he w'ould be the last 
man in the world to deny the hand of God in the des- 
tiny of men, but that the fact must be kept in view that 
Brigham Younij w^as a much abler man than Joseph 
Smith. 


60 


HAGAR. 


The latter, he added, possessed the talent to draw 
such a sect about him, but it required the character of 
Brigham ioiing to organize and keep it together. Ris 
move with an entire people into the wilderness that 
only wanted human labor to turn it into a paradise, was 
one of the boldest and most magnificent strokes in his- 
tory. His predecessor had gone to the Missouri years 
before, but had turned back, and recrossed even tiie 
Mississippi, and so what might have been a Mormon 
empire is but a territory of the United States. The 
prophet missed his opportunity. He seems to have 
lacked both courage and faith. But, not so Brigham 
Young. He is a penetrating politician, and a man of 
strong and energetic will; fertile in the resources re- 
quired for the role he has assumed, he is also correct in 
judgment where his interests are concerned, and enjoys 
the confidence of his people because his life is consis- 
tent with his teachings. Such a man must know, in his 
secret heart, that by establishing polygamy he has 
licensed a monster of evil that will soon stifie all the 
good he may accomplish.’’ 

The Mormon’s eyes sparkled and the blood mounted 
to his temples as he said impetuously : — 

“ You say this. Dr. Taine ! you whose daughter was 
assaulted on the Sabbath day in this Christian State of 
Ohio!” 

I did not say it to provoke you, my young friend, and 
if my remark has had that effect I most gladly recall it, 
and we will drop the subject,” replied the doctor, who 
was surprised to see the sudden anger of the Elder. 

‘‘ No, I am wrong,” continued the young man in a lower 
voice, “the point will bear discussion; and though I 
should have no hope of convincing you, I shall be will- 
ing to express my views, (or, rather, those of the saints) 
concerning the doctrine and practice of celestial mar- 
riage, if you care to hear them.” 

“ Let me hear, then, what you think yourself of the 
doctrine and the practice.” 

He began by stating that the doctrine was of divine 
institution, not only in ancient times among the patri- 
archs who enjoyed the privilege of walking and talking 
with Jehovah, but had been rehabilitated in all its pris- 
tine beatitudes by a direct revelation from Heaven in 


HAGAR. 


61 


these ^last days.’ The practice was intended by the 
Almighty as a great boon to all unbelievers, and such it 
had proved to be among the saints, where women w'ere 
never wronged by men, because the sacred avenue of 
marriage was open to all; dishonor and misery, which 
were common to the rest of the world, were unknown to 
the people of Zion — virgins were never undone — wives 
and husbands were never cheated of their rights ! 

He waxed so eloquent, indeed, in his praises of the 
terrestrial paradise beyond the Rocky Mountains, that 
the doctor looked at him with admiration, and was on the 
point of applauding his ingenuous fervor when he stop 
l)ed speaking. 

“ A practical demonstration of the use and the truth 
of polygamy, as revealed to us,” pursued the young 
man earnestly, “is constantly held u]) before the eyes 
of the world, and woe unto them if they will not see 
it : — ^Your cities are steeped in vice and corruption, 
your homes are blighted an ^ dismembered by lust, the 
vicious haunts are thronged by the frail victims of 
married men ; but your theology does little or nothing 
to stop this growth of sin, w’hile ours goes to the root 
of it ; — 'what you have made a curse we make a bless- 
ing; (iod has given us the key and the power by 
which to prevent the blight that is settling upon the 
earth I ” 

The doctor perceived that further argument would 
be useless at that time, and gently interrupted him to 
ask if he had fully informed himself as to the moral 
condition of American homes and cities, or ob erved 
among the saints the benificent results of which he 
spoke. He replied that of the first he only judged by 
newspaper reports and the accounts given by Mormon 
elders wiio had labored throughout the States ; of the 
last he merely described what lie knew to be the facts. 

Dr. Taine commended his earnestness, and expressed 
a. belief that he possessed a spirit to command aind en- 
force success. Though he reflected that it was a pity 
such a spirit was not given to a better cause, he said 
kindly : 

“ You are sincere, I am sure, and I see no 7*eason whv 
the cause you represent has not as good claims to public 
toleration as many others which enjoy that boon. What 


62 


HAGAR. 


you have said has interested me. I shall be pleased 
to recur to the subject at more leisure. I like to observe 
all forms and phases of human thought and action with 
tlie broadest tolerance, because, by the opposite course, 
we are liable to overlook as of no consequence, phenom- 
ena which are necessary and important adjuncts of that 
onward struggle in which, I hope, we are all of us en- 
gaged.” ^ ^ 

A ring at this moment announced the arrival of visit- 
ors with whom the doctor had business. 

My daily routine now commences, and I must reluc- 
tantly ask you to excuse me, ’’ he said, taking Spencer 
cordially by the hand. The visitors came in, but lie mere- 
ly saluted them an < conducted the shabby young Mormo i 
to the door with the utmost deference. He would not 
let him depart until he had promised to call often to see 
him, and that he would drive out to Chestnut Grove 
next day after the hearing at the i)olice court. 

“ I will acce])t your hospitality. Dr. Taine, not because 
I want any return for what I haA^e done, but in the hope 
that I may be the means of bringing you or your children 
to a knowledge ]of the true faith.” 

The Elder’s face was as serious as that of an Indian 
chief in council. The doctor smiled complacently, and 
Iiressed his hand as he said ‘‘ good da 3 \” 

Spencer hurried to his humble room on Erie street, 
where he sat down listlessly and occupied his thoughts 
with something rathei* outside his mission work. He 
had thought of the same subject a good deal for some 
days past; in fact, it had scarceH quitted his mind for 
a moment since it first found a place there. 

“I walk by short stages all the way from the Missouri 
River and preach in more than twenty different towns 
and villages,” he refiected, as he sat knitting his brows 
and pressing his palms against his forehead. “ During 
the entire journey I do not travel a mile on the Sabbath, 
because wherever 1 am on that day I find a few seekers 
after truth who listen to my message. But on this 
l)articular Sabbath I am carried by force from my lodg- 
ings before daylight and driven from Elyria by a Chris- 
tian mob ! Hungry, despondent, and footsore, I press 
on towards Cleveland for the express purpose, as it now 
seems, of saving two lives and almost losing my own. 


HAGAR. 


G3 


^ How mysterious are thy ways, oil Lord ! ’ And now, the 
image of that lovely girl haunts me like a beautiful vis- 
ion. I never saw such exquisite gi*ace— and she, this 
sweet May morning of perfect woman -hood, owes me 
her life — perhaps much more than that ! That good- 
natured old minister of error will take care that I have 
no opportunity to win her to the Gospel, but if she 
11 links of me — 

He stopped suddenly and picked up the Book of Mor- 
mon which lay on a small pine table near him, with a sad 
look about the bare and cheerless room, but both his ap- 
pearance and his sighs gave proof that at that time he 
( ould find no solid consolation in the text-book of his 
I'aith. 

“ I don’t see my way so clearly since I met her,” he 
muttered. “ Perhaps this is a trick of Satan to turn me 
from my duty ; but it shall not succeed !” 

He resolved to forget her; but when he went out to 
seek a hearing among the rough men on the wharves, 
her sweet image went with him, and combat as he might, 
he could not banish her from his heart. 


CHAPTER VI. 


“Alas ! the love of women ! it is known 
To be a lovely and a fearful thing; 

For all of theirs upon that die is thrown : 

And if ’tis lost, life has no more to bring 
To them but mockeries of the past alone. —Syron. 


The preliminary examination of Adam Joyce on die 
charge of f Assault with criminal intent’ did not con- 
siiiiie a great deal of the court’s time next day. Soon 
after he was lodged in jail he had sent for one of those 
clever pettifoggers who thrive on the garbage of the 
slums in nearly all our cities, and who form the most 
effectual barrier against justice that exists in any 
country. The judge offered to let him go if he could pro- 
cure bail, but, as there was then nobody at hand wdio 
could oblige him, he talked through the bars to Mr. 
Amicus Fish, the minion of the law he had summoned 
to his rescue. He chose this gentleman for the reason 
that he had known him to get many a rascal out of a 
scrape ; for Joyce, it appears, had been a frequent at- 
tendant at the police court, and was especially delighted 
when a known black-leg went scot free owing to some 
trick or quibble of the legal jackanapes who defended 
him. 

The court-room was crowded at an early hour, chiefly 
by the rabble who had amused themselves at the ex- 
pense of the Mormon in the market place, and by a mis- 
cellaneous audience that had come to get a look at the 
fiery genius,” who, as the morning papers announced, 
turned out to be only a Mormon missionary, and the 
first one who had been seen in Cleveland for a longtime. 
They said no more about rewarding him for his bravery. 

Justice Cole was noted for a learned conscientiouV 
ness in the discharge of his trying duties, and the city, 
to emphasize its appreciation of his services, had re- 
cently reelected him for a fourth time to a post in which 
he had given complete satisfaction to all except the 
criminal element. He was an honor to the magistracy 
of first instance in our country. 


HAGAR. 


65 


Father Taine and Mark came in with Spencer, and 
shortly afterwards the Justice took his })lace on the 
bench and the case of Adam Joyce wa« called. Spencer 
as prosecuting witness was first sworn and put upon 
the stand, and, by direction of the Justice made a full 
statement of the case, substantially as recorded in the 
first chapter of this history. 

“Are you able to indentify the man whom you found 
committing this assault ? Do you see him in this court- 
room ? ’’ asked the J udge. 

Joyce had not been placed in the prisoners box, but 
sat with his lawyer and a number of friends and sym- 
pathizers who grouped themselves about him near the 
attorney’s tables. Spencer had selected him as he went 
up to be sworn, and replied promptly : — 

“ Yes. It is he whom I denounced yesterday, the large 
thick-set man there with the dark stubble on his face, 
caused by the recent cutting off of the heavy beard he 
wore on the day of the assault. The name he gave, 
Adam Joyce, corresponds with the initials “A. J.” on 
the handle of this knife, which I found on his person 
while he was lying stunned.” He handed the ugly- 
looking weapon to the bailiff who placed it on the 
Judge’s desk. Justice Coles watched the face of the 
prisoner while the witness wa’s speaking, and was fully 
assured by what he saw there, that the Mormon had 
denouncecl the right man. 

“Adam .Joyce what have you to say in answer to this 
charge?” asked the Judge, slowly. 

“It’s all a lie yer honor!” cried Joyce, springing to 
his feet. 

“ Hush ! sit down,” said Mr. Amicus Fish to his client, 
in a tone of suppressed reprimand, as he rose with 
bantam dignity to address the court. 

“I beg your honor’s pardon for this irregular out- 
burst of righteous indignation on the part of my client. 
If your honor please, we plead “Not guilty” and 
I shall prove in a few moments, to the entire satisfac- 
tion of the court, that this is one of the plainest cases 
of mistaken identity— if not one in which malice is the 
sole instigator — ^that ever occurred in this country. 
Uy client is fortunately safe from this malicious Mor- 
liion's attempt to ruin' him, and Ihe circumstance sup- 


66 


HAGAR. 


plies a striking instance of how ProAddence protects the 
innocent from the schemes of the wicked. \\"e have 
here several respectable and disinterested witnesses 
whose evidence will establish an alibi that cannot be 
overthrown : not even the Mormon prophet himself Avitli 
all his power of performing miracles could make this 
vile charge stand against a citizen so manifestly blame- 
less; a citizen indeed, who is a favorite with all who 
know him, an honest laboring man who earns his living 
by the sweat of his brow, and not by playing the part 
of a prowling sponge, a blood-sucking vampire, like hL> 
miserable accuser.*^ 

Judge Coles listened patiently to Mr. Fish’s remarks, 
and many among the audience thought that the dis- 
inissal of the charge was a certainty. 

Several witnesses were called, among whom was the 
proprietor of the Pontiac Tavern. After being sworn, 
five of them in succession testified that they were with 
Joyce at the Tavern on Sunday from early in the fore- 
noon until after midnight, and that he was not out of 
their sight during that time. One of these witnesses 
was the keeper of the tavern, who in reply to a question 
by the Judge said that the Pontiac Tavern was a well 
known and popular hostelry in the southern suburbs of 
the city, a favorite resort for hucksters, teamsters and 
others who were fond of good cheer at moderate cost. 
The attractions offered consisted of bowling-alley, 
billiards, cards, and such other amusements as customers 
might require, to say nothing of the choicest beverages 
to be had anywhere, and the best brands of tobacco in 
the country. He spoke glibly, like one availing himself 
of an occasion to advertise his establish ment^and had 
the appearance of being an assiduous patron of the 
wares he praised. 

The Judge had taken the precaution to have but one 
of these witnesses in the Court room at a time, and noted 
that each of them had a different recollection as to the 
weather on Sunday. Other discrepancies, no less marked, 
occurred in their evidence except as to the one question 
of Joyce’s whereabouts. Mr. Fish was visibly disturbed 
by the Judge’s questions and his witnesses’s answers ; 
but without commenting upon their variations, the 


HAGAR. 


67 


Judge saw which way the wind blew, and again called 
Spencer to the stand. 

Have you any further evidence to offer in support 
of this charge ? ” the Judge demanded. 

“ As I have before said,” replied the Mormon, “ I was 
the only witness besides the young lady herself ; but, 
notwithstanding the evidence we have heard, I am still 
l)erfectly confident that this is the man. The rough-cut 
initials, ‘‘A. J.” on the handle of that knife are one of 
the chief supports of my evidence, unless Miss Taine 
is summoned. But I shall be willing to confess that I 
am mistaken, if, on examination by a doctor, there is 
not found on that ma/n’s head the mark of the blow the 
young lady dealt him when he was trying to kill me.” 

A good deal of commotion both among the audience 
and among those who surrounded Joyce, was caused by 
this speech. Mr. Fish was seen to hold a quiet confer- 
ence with the accused, and the latter made a lunge as 
if he would like to come near the witness. It was some 
time before order was restored, and then Attorney 
Fish was allowed to have his say : — 

“ Your honor,” said he, buttoning his rather seedy 
looking black-coat and taking a handkerchief from a 
pocket in one of its long tails, ‘‘ I object, as every civ- 
ilized man must, to this bare-faced defiance of this court, 
this attempted insult to honest men who have given 
their testimony under oath, though they are all men 
whose word would pass current where the pretended 
saint’s bond would be ignored. I am surprised, as I 
have.no doubt you are yourself, at the studied insolence 
of the Mormonite ; a miserable vagabond who is, at 
best, but a wandering disseminator of infamy, the only 
effect of whose character and teachings is to make us 
blush that such creatures belong to our kind and pass 
for men ! I need scarcely point out to your honor Ihe 
drift of his contumacy and malevolence, it is as plain 
as the light of day. My client was one of a party of 
young fellows, who, in the exuberance of youth which 
we all admire, played a practical joke upon him, and now 
he seeks to revenge himself by denouncing him as the 
vilest criminal. Does not your honor recognize in this 
the spirit of Simon-juire Mormonism ? I most emphat- 
ically assert that I do ; and will here confess what I am 


68 


HAGAii 


heartily ashamed of, that I once belonged to the sect 
myself and left because such was its spirit. As to the 
initials, the witnesses who know the accused have de* 
Llared to your honor that they never saw such a weapon 
in his possession ; it is therefore most probable that it 
belongs to this Mormon, ami that he put the letters on it 
since he heard the name of my client yesterday. In- 
deed, sir, I assure you that they bear a very striking i*e- 
semblance to the Mormon hieroglyphics invented by J oe 
Smith, and were certainly never cut by my client, who 
is, himself, something of a carver on wood.” (Mr. Fish 
l)robably referred to carving quarters of beef on the 
butcher’s block. His joke sent a titter round the room, 
and some of his most pronounced admirers even clapped 
tiieir hands.) The interruption lasted but a moment 
and he went on : 

“ This charge has not a leg to stand on ; and must my 
client be subjected to further outrage and humiliation 
before this court and before the world, after it has been 
clearly shown that he was more than a mile from the 
scene of the alleged assault during the entire day of 
its alleged occurrence? We protest most solemnl}", 
your honor,” continued the lawyer with melo-dramatic 
gravity. ‘^The mark of a blow on the head, indeed I 
Who knows but what this latter-day-saint made a mark 
on this gentleman’s head in yesterday’s melee with a 
view to bringing it up now as an evidence of crime? 
Certain it is that my client was knocked down and 
severely injured — ” 

‘‘The court is informed of that circumstance,” observ- 
ed the judge. “ And the witness was not the one who 
stiaick him.” 

“ But can the court say that the witness did not kick 
my client on the head after he was down ? I will only 
observe that the Mormon has taken tlie wrong bull 
by the k.orns ; we are watching him and have it in our 
power to bring his malice home to him with compound 
interest ! ” 

The judge interrupted to send the bailiff for the City 
I’hysician whose office was in the same building. 

I^Ir. Fish then proceeded : — 

“If the court please, I will here state that we have 
every reason to believe that the accused was brutally 


HAGAR. 


G9 


kicked on the head by this witness when he was lying 
on the ground in an unconscious state. I am assured 
of this by gentlemen who are present, and who inform 
me that the witnesses of the fact may be found if the 
case be adjourned until to-morrow. I have, therefore, 
to request that the case may be held over until three 
o’clock to-morrow afternoon.” 

“One moment, Mr. Fish,” said Judge Coles. He then 
called Mark Kilbourue for the prosecution, and had 
him sworn. He testified as to the conduct of Spencer 
after Joyce was knocked down in the market place, 
declaring that he stood some distance from the fallen 
man talking to Dr. Taine who was untying his pinioned 
arms. 

Mr. Fish made a faint attempt to badger the witness, 
but quickly perceived his disadvantage, and Mark was 
excused. 

The judge next called Dr. Taine, who stated positively 
that Mr. Spencer was at least fifteen feet from the de- 
fendant when the latter was knocked down, a*nd that he 
did not go near him either while on the ground or after- 
wards. 

Very well,” said the Justice, quietly, after he had 
excused Dr. Taine. “ 1 find, Mr. Fish, that I cannot ad- 
journ this case until 1 have had your client’s head ex- 
amined by Dr. Black. He is an expert in such matters, 
and 1 understand you to admit that the defendant has 
marks of recent injury on his head ? ” 

“ Any man may have such marks, your honor, but can 
they be made an evidence of guilt where an alibi of the 
most conclin^ve kind has been proven? It is not be- 
cause we fear the result of the examination, your honor 
— oh I no ! far from it ! — It is because we respect the 
dignity, the sacredness of Justice, that benign goddess 
who rules trinm])hant in the courts of this free and 
enlightened land, that we protest against the examina- 
tion of this gentlemnn’s head, who stands before j^our 
honor, and before the universe, as an innocent, I may 
say an immaculate citizen ; one whose only offense ap- 
}>ears to be (according to the evidence) that he has 
incurred the enmity of a Mo -mon, a rebel sympathizer, 
whose spleen is tickled by the spectacle of the stars 
and stripes trampled in the mire, while his victim is 


70 


HAGAE. 


ready to give his life in the defense of that glorious ban- 
ner of liberty ! Tried before a jury on such trumpery 
evidence, this outraged gentleman would be acquitted in- 
stantly ; but my own anxiety about the case is wholly 
patriotic : I do not like, in this critical time, to see the 
state lavishing her declining revenues in useless and 
unjust prosecutions. 1 therefore move that the case be 
dismissed, and that these plaintiffs be assessed in the 
costs.’’ A portion of the audience applauded Mr. Fish 
as he took his seat. The Judge gravely informed the 
offenders that if there was any further interruption the 
court-room should be cleared. 

He then cited certain legal maxims, at the conclusion 
of which he ruled Mr. Fish’s motion out of order, and 
said that the examination must be concluded there and 
then. Finally he again interrogated the Elder, who had 
not left the witness stand. 

“ Can you inform the Court about where Miss Taine 
struck her assailant — ^Avhereabouts on the head? on 
either side, the back, or on the forehead? And 
did she strike him more than once ? The stick must 
have sought out a tender si)ot to enable a frightened 
girl so to paralyze an able-bodied man.” 

She struck him but one blow ; and as his face was 
close to mine at the time, it must have fallen on the back 
part of Ms head,” said the Mormon. He was then ex- 
cused, and the Judge ordered the defendant to come 
forward. 

T)r. Illack arrived, was sworn, and proceeded to ex- 
amine the prisoner’s cranium, which w^as covered with 
short, spiky, black hair. 

There is a slight swelling, and an ugly contused 
wound, much discolored, about an inch and a half 
back of the right ear,” said the doctor examining the 
wound carefully. 

“How Avonld you say that wound had been inflicted. 
Dr. Black ?’^ asked the Judge. 

“ Possibly by a fall against something no harder than 
wood, or by the kick of an unshod horse ; but from its 
close resemblance to the effect produced by a ])olice- 
man’s baton, of which T have studied a great number, I 
am of opinion that it was inflicted by some kind of a 
round wooden club.” 


HAGAR. 


71 


The judge was the more impressed by this statement 
as the doctor had not heard the evidence, and probably 
did not know what case was before the court. 

“You insist that it was caused by some instrument 
of wood — But why of wood ? ’’ asked the Judge. 

“ Because such a blow with an iron weapon would 
have cut the scalp — would probably have killed the man, 
in fact.’^ 

“How long a time has elapsed, do you suppose, since 
the wound was received ? Was it done yesterday ? 

“ No, sir,’^ replied the doctor, taking another look at 
Joyce’s pate, “ That wound is of at least four or five days 
standing.” 

Mr. Pish attempted to cross examine him, but finding 
that he was not likely to elicit anything to help his case, 
he sat down, and the doctor withdrew. 

Judge Coles then summed up the case in a few 
choice sentences, and remanded Joyce for the considera- 
tion of the Grand Jur^’^, fixing his bail at |2,000. The 
inn-keeper and a well-to-do butcher signed his bond, and 
he left the station with them. 

The persons interested in the prosecution had gone out 
as soon as the Judge gave his decision. They still 
dwelt upon the case as they walked along, and Mark 
gave it as his opinion that while much more evidence 
might be brought before the Grand Jury, it would be 
advisable if not absolutely necessary to have the villain 
confronted and inden titled by Hagar herself. 

At Chestnut Grove, the day was occupied by Mrs. 
Taine in mapping out her own little comedy. Dr. Taine 
iiad told the household on the previous evening about 
the scene he and Mark had witnessed in the market 
clace, and their discovery that the mysterious young 
man who had proved a sort of nine days wonder was 
nothing more remarkable than a Mormon missionary. 
Had he announced him as a boa constrictor, Mrs. Taine 
could not have been more horrified, for there was not a 
word in the language which struck such a discord in that 
lady’s being as “ Mormon ; ” to her it signified all that 
was detestable. But after her first surprise had sub- 
sided she had occasion to reflect that in the present case 
even a Mormon might prove of some value. She had 
been aware that Hagar was thinking pretty seriously 


72 


HAGAE. 


about the wounded man in tne city hospital; that she 
had written him a sympathetic note and sent some 
ixoweis which Dr. Taine had delivered to him before he 
learned who he was. “ But the fellow being a xMormon,” 
^;he chuckled with satisfaction, “ has entirely spoilt him 
in her eyes— at least so it seems and so I hope ; but as 
old Universality must needs bring him here to-night, 1 
will make sure before he comes. ” 

As early as possible, and Avhen Mr. Smiles was out for 
his morning walk, the old lady called Hagar into the sit- 
ting room and lectured her on the Mormons and their 
practices with as much graviy as had characterized the 
Judge of the police court. Hagar looked grave, but 
said nothing. The simple mention of the young man's 
religion had begun to blur the image of him which her 
fanc}^ and her gratitude had painted on her heart: 
^Irs. Taine’s criticisms seemed to erase it altogether : 
For, to the average citizen, tlie Mormon was as much 
a social pariah as the negro. It must be admitted that 
Hagar felt very much disapp.ointed to find her ideal of 
gallant bi^avery reduced to so unheroic a figure; but 
she was rather vexed than grieved by the circumstance, 
and seemed quite willing to listen to whatever Mrs. 
Taine wished to say. 

Having praised Mr. Smiles to the skies as the most 
noble, exemplai'v and talented man she had ever met, 
the old lady told Hagar plainly that he was despei-ately 
in love with her, and had been so ever since his former 
visit : — 

“ In fact, said sho, with unwonted kindness in her 
tone, ‘‘that’s what has brought him here and that is 
wliy you find me so much more your friend than foi mer- 
ly ; though you must confess that it was your own iault 
that we were ever anything but the best of friemLs. 
Uut, like true Christians, we will let by-gones be by- 
gones. Mr. Smiles has asked me for your hand, which 
is sufficient proof that I have said everything in your 
favor.” 

Hagar blushed and was visibly embarrassed ; but 
after a few moments pause she said with a faint smile : 

“ I fear that is too much good fortune to be thought 
of.” 

“ Mliat do you mean ? ” 


HAGAE. 


73 


Why to gain so good a husband and yourself for a 
friend as if by magic. I am airaid you are only ma kin g 
fun of me, Ma’am Taine. 

Indeed, I was never more in earnest. I admit that 
his estimal ion of you lias somewhat altered mine ; but, 
if I have been sparing of my favors to you alone, it 
will be my pleasure to make amends now that you have. 
I'ecome necessary to his happiness. ’’ The old lady 
drooped her eyelids and twirled her tliiimbs nervously 
for a moment and then added : 

“ Of course, if such a man had met me at the proper 
lime of life, I should not find it necessary to do as I now 
intend. But, regrets are vain,’^ she said abruptly after 
a moment’s pause ; “ As I am to tell Mr. Smiles your an- 
swer, what shall it be ? ” 

‘‘ I hardly know,” replied Hagar, pensively, He has 
said nothing to me about it — ^lie has not told me that he 
— he loved me.” 

That’s probably because he wanted to find out if you 
cared for anybody else; for he insisted that you would 
be sure to fall in love Avith the man who saved you. He 
had more hope the moment he heard this person was a 
.Mormon, as he did not think it possible that you would 
Ihrow yourself away upon such a creature, even if we 
would permit it; for what Avoman in the possession of 
Jier Avits would choose to go into the far West to drudge 
as a Avashwoman and cook amongst a lot of scare croAvs 
who are fit for nothing better ? You’d have to become 
a Mormon, too, wdiether you believe in it or not, for 
these people, like the Jews, are not allowed to take even 
a concubine out of their oAvn church. You must an- 
swer ‘ yes ’ or ^ no. ’ Mr. Smiles Avill be very unhappy 

until he knows what his fate is to be.” 

“ Won’t you tell me. Ma’am Taine, which you think I 
should say ? ” asked Hagar, Avith palpable emotion. 

‘Yes,’ of course, you silly girl. You Avill never have 
such an ofl*er again.” 

“ But what will Father Taine say ?” 

“ LeaA^e that to me. To convince you of the extent to 
which I am studying 3 ^) 111 * welfare, I will tell you that 
I shall immediately deed at least |200,000 of my estate 
to Mr. Smiles, You will reajj the benefit of my munifi 


74 


HAGAR. 


cence, and I will call you my daughter and him my son. 
My purpose is, after you are married early in the 
Spring, to sail for England at once, taking both of you 
with me, of course. Mr. Smiles is a splendid linguist, 
and was abroad with his parents when a child. But 
becoming reduced in circumstances, he has never been 
able to gratify his taste for foreign travel and culture • 
while I, poor woman, have been compelled to stay cooped 
up in this dreary place for want of an escort. After a 
few months in Glreat Britain, we shall proceed to the 
Continent, and remain abroad until this horrid war is 
ended. You can surely answer now ? 

Mrs. Taine expected an enthusiastic acceptance, and 
was angry and disgusted when Hagar declared that she 
must first ask the ad v ice of Father Taine. 

“I thank you for your kindness. Ma’am Taine, and I 
don’t mind admitting to you that I like Mr. Smiles very 
well — I scarcely know how well ! But it would be very 
hard to leave Father Taine,” exchdmed Hagar, clasping 
her hands over her face, and bursting into tears. 

“Well,” said Mrs. Taine disdainfully, “whatever it’s 
to be, don’t let’s have any sniveling about it ! ” 

While she was speaking Mr. Smiles came in. 

“ Ah, Miss Hagar, what’s the matter ? As they say 
in the play, ‘ wherefore these tears ? ’ ” 

“It is certainly a strange time to weep when every- 
body wants to make you happy, ” said Mrs. Taine, 
severely. 

At this Hagar endeavored to brush away her tears, 
excusing herself by some reference to Dr. Taine, which 
was rendered incoherent by her sobs. 

“Of course, ” said Mr. Smiles, “ you understand, my 
dear Mrs. Taine, that this matter must not be mentioned 
to Dr. Taine yet awhile, not, in fact, till I give the 
signal. It is rather sudden, and he will think better 
of it if brought to his notice later on. ” 

“You are quite right: discretion is most needful in 
such cases,” echoed Mrs. Taine. 

A look from the young minister was sufficient to 
remind her of imjmrtant duties in another part of the 
house, and she quickly disappeared, leaving the young 
people alone together. 

Mr. Smiles was not the man to be at a loss f or some- 


HAGAR. 


75 


thing to say in any emergency, and he proved his talent 
by making himself esi)ecially agreeable and interesting 
to the young girl he had resolved to win. She soon be- 
came cjuite merry under the iinlluence of his lively sal- 
lies, and was particularly amused by a verbal picture he 
sketched for lier of himself as the chami)ion of true 
religion, engaged in a deadly combat against the Mor- 
mon heretic, and herself as the fair prize which was to 
fall to the lot of the victor. She d)id not leave him in 
doubt that her own sympathy would be with the cham- 
pion of true religion ; i)erhaps she was too eager to make 
that clear, and suspected as much herself, for she re- 
treated so far as to say : 

‘‘But, perhaps 1 am wrong; for, did you not say the 
other day that I ought to love the man who preserved 


to me the power of loving ? ” 

“ Ah ! yes, but we were not then in possession of the 
information that he is a Mormon who probably has half 
a dozen wives alrc^ady.” 

It was a glorious day and Hagar accepted his invita- 
tion to come out and play croquet. Everything consid- 
ered it is not surprising that James Taiire was entirely 
forgotten at dinner time by Ms usually sedulous atten- 
dant, who had never experienced so much pleasure in the 
game of croquet as it now afforded her. Mr. Smiles was 
conversing all the while in his delightful way ; at one 
moment recounting some strange story about the war 
or the IMormons ; and then, quickly shifting the scene 
he would land her among the wonders and beauties of 
the European capitals, of which he sketched so realistic 
n mnorama that the Bewildered Hagar almost fancied 
herself among the scenes he was describing. 

At dinner she ate very little, and withdrew to her 
room saving that she would renew the game, as r. 
Smiles requested, a little later in the afternoon. 

On her way hpstairs she suddenly ^ 

gleet of the invalid, and when she reached 
^’ow Maria coming out of his room with a ^ 
hand. In answer to her questions the 
Tdied that she had taken him some dinner as directed by 
the missus, but that Mr. Taine refused to eat 

Hagar felt deeply hurt, and as soon as Maria left her, 
began to cry. Her memory went back to a time when 


70 


HAGAR. 


slie was ill : how kind and thoughtful James had been 
to her ; how patiently he had waited upon her, and with 
what gentle solicitude he brought and urged her to 
take every delicacy her i3aiate fancied and the doctor al- 
lowed ! These thoughts stung her to the quick, for she 
told herself that a selfish distraction had made her ne- 
glect the one who had been so are ul never to slight her. 

As soon as she could sufiiciently control her feelings, 
she went into James’s room and found liim very pale. 
He turned his eyes toward her sadly as she approached, 
but did not extend his hand as usual. 

“ I hope you are not feeling worse, James ; though you 
certainly look so,” said she, nervously, as she stroked 
Ms brow with her soft little hand. 

She stayed and talked with him for some time and 
thought she had never seen him in such a despondent 
mood. To lu‘r it seemed very likely that he had sud- 
denly become worse from liis injuries ; it did not occur 
to her that he Avas suffering more from mental than 
jiliysical pain ; but such Avas the case. His open win- 
dow Avas not so far from the croquet ground as to pre- 
vent lii Mi earing her meiT}^ laugh and the complacent 
voice of her comi^anion during their unusually pro- 
tracted stay. James had already suspected that Hagar 
admired the parson, but he felt certain uoav that the 
case had assumed a far more serious aspect, and that it 
was probabl.y too late to speak of his own passion 
which had been fed and encouraged by her recent kind- 
ness and attention to him. He was convinced by the 
circumstance of her neglect that she felt a stronger at- 
tractioii elseAviiere ; but his perception had not gone 
so far as the actual drama had progressed, and he was 
astonished when in reidy to some bitter remark of his 
('oncerniug the ‘‘detached parson,” as he was pleased to 
(*all his step-mother’s guest, Hagar replied with ex- 
(piisite ingenuousness 

“I must tell 3 'ou, James, that Mr. Smiles is a nice 
young gentleman : even you will like him when you are 
better acquainted. He has asked my hand in mar- 
riage — and — and — ^he’s to be my husband. She hung her 
head and stammered a little OA^er the last Avords, and 
did not raise her eyes until James spoke. 

“ So so(jn ! ” he exclaimed. 


HAGAE. 


77 


“It seems rather sudden ; but we became acquainU ;! 
when ]V1>. Smiles passed through here in the spring. 1 
think you will be satisfied when you know him bccier, 
and find what a clever, agreeable man he is. ” 

The wounded man left alone, his thoughts were ail oC 
her : He had treasured the precious fancy in all his 
wandering, that sometime Hagar Avould be his wi fe ; 
and in finding that she had given her heart to a stranger 
felt an incalculable pang. This parson’s name sound <1 
uncanny to his ear ; and ,his one visit to the sick-room 
had c()ii\iiiced the invalid that the name was suited to 
the man. 

James divined that his step-mother had suggested 
Hagar’s course, and he had seen enough of human nature 
to know the vanity of opposition. But he determined to 
mention it to his father, as he might never detect what 
was going forward until it reached a climax if those con- 
cerned had any motive for acting quietly. 

Dr. Taine came home somewhat earlier than usual, 
bringing the young Hormon with him, and Charles 
Spencer was introduced to Mrs. Taine, Hagar and Mr. 
Smiles directly. The situation was a somewhat trying 
one to the unsophisticated young Saint, who was accus- 
tomed to only the most primitive social arrangements, 
and appeared in his plain, ill-fitting, homespun suit, his 
coarse cow-hide shoes and slouched hat, very much like a 
farm-hand dressed in his best to attend a country fair. 
The most that Mrs. Taine could do was to patronize him 
in a manner to add to his discomfort ; but Hagar endeav- 
ored to be gracious, and Mr. Smiles quickly brought 
his fine tact to the rescue and soon succeeded in placing 
the young barbarian at his ease. Dr. Taine also did bis 
l)ai*b to produce this happy result, and when his protege 
was fairly reconciled to his surroundings, hastened up 
stairs to see James. 

After affectionate inquiries, his father asked if he 
would like to see Mr. Spencer at once, or if he preferred 
to receive him next morning. 

‘M want to see him presently;” said James — “But, 
wait a moment, father, ” he added, as the doctor turned 
to go. “ I want to ask you if you have heard the news. ” 

“ The news I — what news ? ” 

“ Why, that Hagar is going to marry this man Smiles. ” 


78 


HAGAR. 


I Jiave heard nothing of it ; may I ask who has in- 
formed you ? demanded the doctor, with concern. 

Hagar, herself. 

Then I shall hear of it in time, no doubt. ” 

That you hear of it now is opposed, I believe, to Mr. 
Smiles’ intention. Hagar betrayed it inadvertently to 
me. I think you will hear nothing of it unless you 
inquire. 

The young journalist was quite right; the doctor 
heard nothing. 

He found the group down stairs greatly interested in 
the Mormon, who was giving them an account of an 
Indian attack made in the Black Hills upon the party 
with which he had crossed the plains. Hagar was by 
far the most attentive and appreciative member of the 
audience, and even regarded the stranger with genuine 
admiiation. His face was smooth-shaven with good 
features : his eyes almost black, restless and full of fire, 
I)layed an effective part in his conversation, which was 
delivered with animation, in tolerably correct phrase, 
and in a clear voice that was not unmusical. For the rest, 
he was of good manly height, full chested, and of the 
lithe, wiry build which can defy much exposure, pri- 
vation and fatigue. Mrs. Taine thought his head too 
large ; but in fact, it was remarkably symmetrical as Mr. 
Smiles told Hagar, and the appearance of being slightly 
out of proportion was caused by his thick shock of long 
wavy hair. 

At supper, which was a plain but substantial meal, 
consisting of ham and eggs, vegetables, the regulation 
mush and milk, and delicious home-made bread, butter 
and preserves, the saint ate with unabashed avidity, 
and an innocent disregard for conventionalities which 
amused Mr. Smiles, pained Hagar, and literally dumb- 
founded Mrs. Taine. The doctor seemed as unconscious 
that anything was wrong as the culprit himself, and 
the latter, while giving most flattering accounts of the 
well-being and the rapid progress of his people, jarred 
the nerves of his hostess by omitting to masticate his 
1‘ood with his mouth closed, and by shoveling up with 
his knife whatever was placed before him. The old 
lady was mentally asking herself what next ! ” when 
to her horror the missionary deliberately poured a por^ 


HAGAE. 


79 


tion of his coffee into his saucer and drank it from that 
vessel. If he had stood at zero in her estimation before 
supper, he certainly sank several degrees below during 
that repast. His really interesting talk, his good looks, 
his inelfable nonchalance, were all as nothing to that 
good old lady in the balance against what she afterwards 
denounced as his ^ barbarous breeding.’ 

Luckily for Spencer, others of his new acquaintances 
were not so intolerant, and he repaid their generosity 
by upwards of an hour’s amusement which he supi)lied 
by an account of the divine origin of his religion. 
The theologians politely gave him the floor and ofl’ered 
no criticisms. At nine o’clock Mark Kilbourne arrived, 
and the party soon af tei*wards broke up. Mark was very 
attentive to the Mormon, and presently took him up to 
James’ room. When the clock struck ten, Mr. Smiles, 
who was left alone with the ladies, said that he could 
not think of keeping them ffp any longer, and as he 
felt no inclination to retire he would take a stroll in the 
moonlight. 

The truth is, my dear madam, ” said this sturdy 
young parson who was as unimpressible as a brick-bat, 
and was also well aware of the fact, ‘‘ the unusual ex- 
citements of to-day have somewhat upset me. ” 

Shortly afterwards he put on a light overcoat, and 
lit a fragrant Havana as he went outside. 

Well, Hagar, what do you think of the Mormon ? ” 
asked Mrs. Taine. 

“ He seems a talented fellow, but oh, my ! how igno- 
rant ! Just think of any sane person believing that 
story about the golden plates.” 

“ My dear, ” replied the old lady confldentially, any 
person who will eat pie with a knife, is fool enough to 
believe anything ! ” 


CHAPTER vn. 


Oft’ what seems 

A trifle, a mere iiothiu?', ]>y itself, 

In some iiiee situations turns the scale 

Of Fate, and rules the most important actions.” —JAomiJSO/t. 


The waning moon was climbing the eastern sk}^ and 
n zephyr from Lake Erie was playing among the foliagi* 
when Mr. Smiles began his solitary promenade on the 
lawn. Finding the grass coated with hoar-frost, he 
took to the gravel walk, and soon arrived at tlie gatte 
There he paused, and resting his elbows on the top rail 
of the fence quietly pull'ed at his cigar and watched the 
wreaths of smoke as they were waited down the lane. 

The Taine mansion stood back from the road some 
distance, and the level space between was thickly 
(overed wdth fruit trees the branches of which were 
almost bare. Some of the trees along the public road, 
howaver, still contained enough leaves to obscure the 
view even in the daytime, and they now cast a tliick 
shadow along one side, in which, in spite of the bright 
moonlight, a man might conceal himself with impunity. 
Mr. Smiles appeared suddenly to become aware of tliis, 
and after carefully surveying the avenue leading to the 
house, he went outside, closed the gates gently after him 
and passed along in the shadow for some distance as if 
to make sure that nobody was lying there in ambush. 
He satisfied himself that all was clear and was going 
back towards the gate when he heard a horse approaclr 
iug. He quicky stepped inside and concealed himself 
behind one of the heavy gate-posts. The horseman 
advanced at a slow walk, and when opposite the gate 
(Irew^ rein and gazed steadily for a few seconds up the 
iwemie towards Chestnut Grove. 

“ The best of men ? ” said Mr. Smiles, showing himself. 

‘^Is number nine,” replied the other, w^heeling his 
horse towards w^here the minister stood. He then dis- 
mounted ; they shook hands cordially, and walked slowly 
aw^ay together conversing in an undertone. 


HAGAR. 


81 


‘‘ I was getting rather uneasy, parson. What’s a 
movin’ — hev yer sighted the coon ? ” 

“Yes, I’ve been as close to him as I am to you, I 
shook his hand, and I’ve got things into better shape in 
three days than I expected in ten. What was impos- 
sible last Spring Tvdll now be as easy as fooling e 
wench,” said Mr. Smiles, falling into a careless man- 
ner to suit his companion. “ But how are Delmy and 
the rest of the boys ? ” 

“ Tip top, sah ! jest A 1 ; Jim Delmy is the man to do 
a job clean. Them Treasury papers you got him at 
St. Louis has jest made him solid all along. It’s true 
we’ve been a day late gettin here ; but we’ve got the 
loads down fine, which is something to the purpose, 
ain’t it ? Besides we’ve all got mounts that can make 
Avell on to ninety miles between two days.” The speaker 
was a wiry young Missourian of medium height and 
slight built. He looked the ideal desperado. His 
stumpy red beard overgi’ew a visage in which the small 
grey eyes shone like two fiery beacons. He kept a huge 
quid of tobacco moving about from one cheek to the 
other while listening to what the parson said, and spoke 
with a peculiar nasal twang. In reply to Mr. Smiles’ 
questions he said that Delmy had decided that no part 
of the journey they were to perform could be done 
otherwise than on horseback ; that they had a safe and 
entirely innocent looking camp, and that Delmy was 
anxious for an interview with the parson. 

“ But, say, parson ; ” added No. 9. on his owm account, 
“ is there any truth in that air report in the papers 
about ole Leigh withdrawin’ the rew^ard, an’ sayin’ heil 
jest let the oung un go to blazes if he likes ? ” 

“ Not a word ! — if you couldiit tell that w-as nothing 
but a Yankee lie. No. 9. I’m ashamed of you.” 

“Well, that’s what Jim says, and I reckon you’re 
both about right.” 

Mr. Smiles shortly after despatched his friend with 
an order for Captain Delmy to meet him at the same 
place at ten o’clock the following evening, by which 
time he hoped to have a definite plan mapped out ; and 
wiien the receding clatter of the horse’s hoofs had died 
away, the parson strode leisurely back to the house. 
Lights w'ere still burning in some of the rooms uj) stairs. 


82 


HAGAB. 


and he found Mrs. Taiiie awaiting him in the sitting- 
room, where she had fallen asleep with a heavy theo- 
logical volume on her lap. She roused herself with an 
effort as he entered the room ; but he pretended not to 
notice that Morpheus had interrupted her divinity, and 
said : — 

‘^Ah, .my dear madam! Communing with the holy 
fathers, as usual?’’ 

I was reading a little ; but I am very tired to-night 
and should have gone to bed but that I have some- 
thing to say to you.” By this time Mr. Smiles had 
thrown off his overcoat, and stretched his well-formed 
person in a comfortable attitude on the old-fashioned 
lounge. 

“Ah, but you are too thoughtful for me, dear Mrs. 
Taine, I am very sorry.” 

“ You have no occasion to be. My interest in you is 
more deep and sincere than I have ever felt for any 
other being, and I can see, as nobody else can, that 
you are uneasy. You have not, I am afraid, formed a 
correct estimate of my character. ” As she said this she 
took a chair nearer the lounge and placed it so that she 
might speak in a low voice quite near her companion's 
ear. “ I know what it is,” she continued, “ you see how 
partial Dr. Taine is towards the Mormon, and you think 
Hagar may have a lurking tendency in that direction. 
Still, such fears are uncomiilimentary to me, and prove 
that you have failed to appreciate the depth of my af- 
fection — the strength of my purpose.” 

Mr. Smiles felt some uncertainty as to the old lady’s 
meaning, but '^eplied blandly : 

“No, no, m3' dear friend, do not imagine such a 
thing ; I need no assurance that I can fully rely upon 
you.” 

“ You candidly believe that in spite of all opposition 
from whatever quarter I will secure the result you de- 
sire ? ” she asked with singular eagerness. 

“ Indeed, yes ! ” he exclaimed, in a manner to convince 
her. “ I am so far satisfied of this that I am ready to 
adopt a course which is rarely a safe one as this world 
goes. I am going to trust wholly to 3'our friendship, 
and leave nothing to depend u])on my own poor merit.” 
The young minister was half expecting a declaration of 


HAGAR. 


83 


undying love from the old lady herself ; he had known 
of such cases, and was prepared to make the best of the 
dilemma ; but she merely passed her hand gently along 
his forehead, and settled baj.i in her chair with a deep 
sigh. 

“ Hut, speaking of the Mormon,” said he, in a voice as 
nicely modulated as that of a clever actor, “ do you know 
I almost feel that he has a prior claim to the lovely girl 
he rendered such gallant service ? I don’t know but 1 
ought to give up the contest in his favor.” 

“ No, that you shall not ! I know your modest and gen- 
erous nature, but in this case, at least, it shall not avail 
you to your own irreparable loss. You fell in love with 
Hagar when you met her last spring. I knew it perfect- 
ly well. This circumstance has opened up a future for 
me as well as for you, if you are but steadfast to your 
])urpose. The small portion of your society which I 
should enjoy as an elder sister — or — ”(she found it nec- 
essary to clear her throat) — or as a mother, if you pre- 
fer it, would amply repay me for all that I caii do to pro- 
mote your interests and happiness, and to place you in 
a position of immediate independence.’^ 

He attempted to say something by way of gratitude, 
but she would not be interrupted until she had stated 
hei* determination to make him the heir to all she pos- 
sessed. 

“Hut, it is too much — too much, my dear madam. 
How can I ever accei)t so great, and so undeserved — ” 

“ Please allow me to finish what I have to say, for 
nothing can turn me from my purpose. My property 
is all in my own name and right, and I ‘Am determined 
that it shall not go to m^^ husband’s family. Your kin 
to me is so far only spiritual, which I deem the best of 
kin — ^you alone can inherit from me. All this and more 
I have planned, and the plan must be carried out.” 

Mr. Smiles at that moment felt a doubt as to the old 
lady’s sanit3\ 

“There is a mystery about Miss Hagar’s parentage 
of which you promised to inform me. Knowing the 
facts shall not alter my determination to abide by your 
wishes, for I do not believe that a man can devote him- 
self too singlv" and entirely to so true a friend.” He 
reverently took her hand and pressed it to his lips. 


84 


HAGAR. 


Affecting a momentary confusion, she replied : — ‘^On 
the faith of that promise I will tell you all I knoAV about 
this strange case.’’ She drew her chair a little nearer, 
and after a glance around the room to make sure that 
they were quite alone, continued in a voice that was 
little louder than a whisi-er : 

“ When I married Nathan Taine his former wife had 
been dead about three years, and I found in his house, 
(a small place a mile beyond hei-e) his son James, 
and this girl, a babe only a few months old. She was 
lepresented to me as a foundling who had been taken 
in by Dr. Taine during my engagement to him, but while 
[ was away visiting friends in Boston. My husband 
seemed very reticent about her, but at last I obtained 
the following account from a servant girl who was then 
employed on the place, and who has since marided and 
gone out west. Early one morning, she said, the gar- 
dener was going about his work when he heard a baby 
crying near a deep j)ond at the farther end of the or- 
chard. Running to the spot he found the tiny thing 
bundled up in a thick shawl, lying under a tree, and took 
it at once to the house. As an elderly woman who then 
kept the doctor’s house was unwrapping it, this card 
fell on the floor.” She handed him a square bit of card- 
board, yellow with age, but otherwise in a good state of 
preservation. The writing on it was perfectly clear and 
distinct, but was the work of a cramped and inexperi- 
enced hand. He read it audibly : 

“ I could not murder her as I do myself. May her life 
not be cursed as her mother’s was. Name her Hagar, 
the forsaken one — it may be fortunate — mine Avas Hope, 
and brought me only misery. God pity us ! ” 

“How strange, how pitiful!” exclaimed the parson 
with a real touch of sympathy in his voice. “ But was 
the poor mother never found ? ” 

“ No : — it is supposed she drowned herself in the jjond, 
and that her body is to this day concealed in some of its 
recesses ; for it is very deep, and the sides and bed are 
composed of ledges and broken shelves of lime-stone. 

I sometimes almost love the girl myself wlien I think of 
that dreary episode,” added Mrs. Taine, raising her 
handkerchief to her eyes. 


CHAPTEK Ylir. 


It was sliortl}^ before noon on the fairest of autumn 
days when Mr. Smiles rode into the quiet village of 
Newberg, and the first sight that attracted his attention 
was a squad of some 200 recruits who were performing 
military evolutions in the vacant square adjoining the 
small church and school-house. The fact that these 
smooth-faced boys were being trained to kill and be 
killed, did not interest him in the least, for his mind was 
{preoccupied with the expected meeting with Captain 
Leigh, and more particularly with the anticipation of 
seeing the young olficer’s wife, who, he had no doubt, 
was formerl}^ an intimate acquaintance of his own. 

“ She will not know me,’^ he reflected as he slowly ap- 
proached the square, “ for I saw her last in ’54, and am 
greatly changed — but, if she should, she dare not speak.” 

Philip had recognized the parson as he drew near, 
and stepped out to greet him. They shook hands and 
Mr. Smiles said in his jpleasant style : 

“As I was passing this way I thought I would give 
myself the pleasure of a call at your house. Captain 
Leigh; but 1 fear you are too much occupied?” 

“No, not at all,” replied Philip, cordialy, “these are 
two companies that have been raised by private enter- 
prise, and I have been inspecting them before sending 
them forward for enrollment in the Federal armies. II' 
you will wait one moment Pll show you where I live.” 

Smiles dismounted and stood stroking the arched neck 
of his horse while the Captain gave his final directions 
to the volunteer officers who presently formed their com- 
panies in marching order and took the road back to 
Cleveland. Philip then rejoined him, and they walked 
together down a grass}’ lane to the left of the school- 
house. 

“ How did you leave the invalid ? ” asked Captain 
Leigh. 

“ He is getting along very well indeed.” 

“ And is all this drama in the newspapers quite true, 
then ? I have been curious to ask J ames about it.” 


HAGAR. 


8 () 

I believe so/’ replied Mr. Smiles. “We now 
have the young Mormon at Chestnut Grove, and a preju 
diced observer might be pardoned for expressing his 
opinion that in tliis case Heaven had selected a curious 
instrument for its miracles.” The minister spoke satir- 
ically, and Philij) smiled at the conceit. “It now ap- 
pears that he wants to marry Miss Hagar,” he added. 

“ It is said that there is another aspirant for Hagar’s 
hand. Of course you have heard that also?” asked 
Philip. 

“ No, I can’t say that I have ; but I should pity any 
Christian who entered such a contest against a Mormon 
and came off second best.” 

“Well,” replied Captain Leigh, rather pensively, “I 
think Miss Taine a fine young woman, and I hope a 
bright and happy future is in store for her — such a fu- 
ture as could not be found in a Mormon harem.” 

They had now reached a. gate in a whitewashed picket- 
fence and Mr. Smiles made mental observation of the 
salient features of the locality for future use. The 
house was a one story frame cottage built, in a neat 
style, and like most residences is the village, was en- 
sconced amidst an orchard of fruit trees well back from 
the street. A few hardy flowers were still in blossom 
in the beds beside the gravel walk, and a portion of the 
porch was festooned by a graceful creeper trained up- 
on a wicker trellis. Mr. Smiles also noted, with satis- 
faction that there was not a house on the opposite side 
of the street, and that the nearest neighbor was distant 
a good stone’s throw. The Captain’s boy was seen 
hurrying towards them from the barn-yard gate which 
was a little further along, and they paused until he came 
and took charge of Mr. Smiles’ horse. They were dis- 
( ussing the Mormon as they approached the house, but 
dropped the subject instanter when they met Mrs. Leigh 
face to face at the cottage door. Josephine was sur- 
prised to see the fashionabe stranger. Philip intro- 
duced Mr. Smiles as the gentleman he had met the 
other evening at Dr. Taine’s, and she received him with 
that frank and gracious courtesy so characteristic 
Western women, which places the stranger at once in 
a comfortable and easy frame of mind. Mr. Smiles was 
not less self-possessed, and while indulging in such po- 


HAGAR. 


87 


lite common-places as he thought suitable from a 
young and handsome bachelor minister, he recognized 
Mrs. Leigh as the former Miss Josephine La Salle whose 
acquaintance he had made in the South many years 
before. 

She was beautiful when he had first met her, but he 
was amazed by the spell which her present charms 
threw over him. With a quick glance he surveyed her : 
Her exquisite form was lithe as a leopard's; her com- 
idexion ideally fair and enhanced by a sentiment of 
rose-tint like a blush on a lily, if such could be. Her 
wavy tresses clustered about a brow and head as per- 
fect as a Greek statue. 

“ She was then the bud not fully blown,” thought Mr. 
Smiles, — She is now the perfect flower.” 

For a time he let the conversation drift along as it 
would, all the while keeping a secret watch on Joseph- 
ine to note if she betrayed the faintest sign of recogni- 
tion. Ihizzled and interested by her sweet unconscious- 
ness as she worked aw^ay at her embroidery, he finally 
mentioned the intended visit of Mrs. Taine and Hagar, 
and turned a neat compliment regarding the latter. 

“I have alwa^^s been very fond of Hagar and used to 
see her quite frequently in Cleveland; but she has 
only called once since w^e moved from the city,” said 
^Irs. Leigh. 

‘‘ Mrs. Taine, has, I believe, ” said Mr. Smiles, ju- 
diciously, “kept in force a system of restraint (with 
only kind intentions I am sure, but not the less errone- 
ously), which I have advised her to abandon. She is a 
kind and good woman, but is very sensitive and some- 
wiiat wanting in tact. This visit, I hope, may prove 
tlie beginning of a series, for I am sure she will relish 
social intercourse if she will only take tlie trouble to 
acquire a taste for it. And to her adopted daughter, 
as I have strongly represented, it is indispensable. Too 
much seclusion I believe to be detrimental to the 
young. ” 

“You might say fatal, I think,!” replied Captain 
Leigh. “ Boys and girls who are educated in w'alled 
convents do not as a rule develop anything like the in- 
dependence and individuality w'hich cliai'acterize those 
wiio receive their early training in public schools and 


88 


HAGAR 


colleges. This is a svell known fact and T consider that 
it is entirely due to the innate viciousness of the former 
system. Still, some people are silly enough to adopt it 
in their own homes, and its effects are usually dis- 
astrous. Speaking of Miss Taine: she seems to be a 
decidedly bright young girl.” 

“ She is intelligent,” rejffied the minister. “ I believe 
she would learn anything under favorable conditions. 
1 find her unusually quick. For instance, the other 
evening I undertook to show her the moves in chess, 
and she not only mastered them in a few minutes, but 
was enable to i)lay them correctly in a trial game the 
same evening. She shows facility in whate\er she at- 
tempts, even in music, and she really deserves better 
opportunities than she enjoj^s here.” 

Mr. Smiles was talking principally for effect. But 
his conversation was none the less interesting on that 
account for the simple reason that his auditors had not 
the least suspicion that such was the case. To them he 
was only what he appeared. Philip indeed, had long 
harbore(l a lurking prejudice against parsons in general, 
but had tacitly exempted his ])resent visitor on account 
of having met him at the house of Dr. Taine, whom he 
held in the highest esteem. 

Are you making a long stay in Ohio, Mr. Smiles ? ” 
asked Captain Leigh. 

“ No — that is, I think not. I am a kind of courier in 
my profession, of inferior rank and therefore subject 
to orders. As you remarked the other evening, ‘ I only 
know the al])habet.’ But I like this field of labor much, 
and only wish my stay here might be regulated by my 
own will. If I could get a furlough from this duty I 
should enlist as a chaplain,” he concluded, with the in- 
nocent air of a young priest in the first stage above his 
novitiate. 

‘‘ I should think this the more pleasant post,” reiffied 
Philip. ^‘Yon would find army work a very different 
matter.” 

am aware of it, my dear sir; but do you suppose 
tliat the soldier of the Cross only studies his ease?” 
Mr. Smiles spoke in a tone of mild, courteous reprimand. 

I might say the sai^e to you. Captain Leigh,” he con- 
tinued with a friendly smile. ‘‘A place by this bright 


HAGAR. 


89 


and peaceful fireside is far more desirable than in the 
front of battle where the earth and all upon it is rent by 
shot and shell ; and yet. I’ll warrant, you would choose 
the latter. N\’hy then should not I ? Simply because 
1 have no power to choose, since, like any other soldier^ 
I must either obey orders or dishonor myself by deser 
lion. ” He then proceeded to express his opinion of 
the singular display of inconsistency in religious 
matters which was the inevitable result of war : the 
pra^^ers of each blood-drenched contestant imploring 
victory from the same God ; the irony of men’s creeds 
and pretended beliefs, which were supposed to unite 
them in strong bonds of fellowship, and proved to be 
but ropes of sand the moment the sword was drawn; 
the young and brave flying to the Franks of both sides 
to battle for the right ! 

‘‘ It is, ” he said, with almost tearful solemnity, “ a sad 
and awful spectacle that we have presented to us this 
moment, the death conflict of Cain and Abel spreading 
its blight upon a million hearthstones ! I often cry in 
agony of spirit : Where and how will it all end ? ” 

He spoke with such well-feigned emotion that tlie 
tears came to ^Irs. Leigh’s eyes, and a strange flush 
passed across I^hilip’s cheek leaving him pale and 
sei'ious. There was a brief pause, which Philip) inter- 
rupted by saying quietly, though with a flash in his 
dark eyes that did not escape the minister : — 

“ There should be no doubt in our minds as to that ! 
It can only end by the utter collapse of the Rebel cause. 
No true American can think of any other end than 
this!” 

“ Of course, we all hope for that result,” said Mr. 
Smiles, thoughtfully, “ but we cannot lose sight of the 
dreadful caimage and suffering, and the almost fatal 
blow to Morality which must intervene. I did not mean, 
where would the political contest cease, for I am as cer- 
tain as to that as a man can be of anything. But I 
mean, where will end these shocking evils ? For their 
effects will be felt long after the roar of cannon and the 
rattle of musketry have ceased, and after the fields and 
valleys that have drunk the blood of thousands have out- 
grown the marks of the fray, and returned to more than 
their pristine beauty.” 


HAGAR. 


UO 

Mr. Smiles had easily accomplished his purpose : he 
was now regarded by Captain Leigh and his wife as a 
good young parson of no mean ability, whose heart 
and sympathy were obviously in the right place. The 
young officer thought that his abstenance from the 
offensive sanctimoniousness that was then too common 
among minor theologians, was to be ascribed to his ex- 
perience of the world and his evident intelligence ; and 
he found himself taking a decided interest in Mr. Smiles 
despite his trade. 

“Do you expect soon to be ordered to the front, 
Captain Leigh ? ’’ asked the minister. 

“ Yes — ^but the time is uncertain.” He laid his finger 
on his lips as a signal to drop the subject, but it was 
too late : Josephine raised her eyes to his with a look 
of pain, and found it necessary to withdraw to hide her 
tears from the stranger. She already felt the vivid 
apprehension that oppresses the loving wife of a sol- 
dier in time of war ; but it was well for her that she had 
no foretaste of the bitter draught that her fate held in 
reserve for her. 

“You must excuse my wife, Mr. Smiles,” said Philip, 
rather sadly — “ she is like most women, very skeptical 
about the honor to be won at the cannon’s mouth when 
her husband is concerned. As to your question : I have 
requested to be relieved from my present duties and 
ordered to the front, but of course, I cannot say when 
my wish will be gratified. If it depends on political in- 
fiuence I am afiuid I shall have to remain here.” 

“Yes we have become so habituated to a])po'inting 
men to office because of political influence, and the cus- 
tom has thus far played so important a part in the ap- 
pointments of officers for the present army that I should 
not be surprised if a successful manipulator of ward 
liolitics with qualifications for a commissary clerk, will 
become a general in the Union army while. West Point- 
ers who have no ‘ political influence,’ remain lieutenants 
and captains. I have sometimes thought that if the 
(piestion of appointing some worthy gentleman to the 
post of arch angel were brought before the Senate, the 
first and last difficulty would be the candidate’s ' polit- 
ical influence’” Smiles said this with enough faceti- 
ousness to make Philip laugh, and then turning to him 


HAGAR. 


91 


asked rather abruptly if he played chess. Captain 
Leigh replied' that he knew the rudiments of the game 
but could hardly be called a player. 

“ It is the only game 1 care lor,” answered Mr. Smiles, 

I wish we might lind an opportunity to have a bout. It 
should be a favorite with those of the military profess- 
ion, for besides being a genial and engrossing pleasure 
in the camp, it suggests endless tactical and strategical 
problems, and in its miniature ramjifications may contain 
the outlines of a great battle.” 

‘‘ I am m^'self a tolerably enthusiastic amateur whose 
love for the game is far greater than his skill. I have 
not played for some time, but perhaps we can have a 
qudet contest on the mimic field when you come here 
with the Taines.” 

“ Nothing could gratify me more,” said Mr. Smiles, 
rising. “ Of course you will give me some advantage — 
a castle, for instance ? ” 

“ AVe shall see about that after the first game,” re- 
])lied Philij). “ But you are not going ? It is our din- 
ner-time — you must stay and dine with us, unless you 
have a prior engagement with some of your fiock.” 

Smiles made an excuse, saying that although he had 
no si)ecial engagement he must make a number of calls 
during the afternoon and could scarcely spare the time. 
\Adiile he was hesitating, Mrs. Leigh came back, and he 
yielded readily to her cordial invitation. As they were 
])assing to the dining room he eased his tender con- 
science by remarking with a slight shrug of the shoul- 
ders, which he often employed to indicate a pleasant 
resignation to the inevitable : 

Well, I must confess, that the charm of Western 
hospitality is irresistible I ” 

In spite of studied precautions on Philip’s part, the 
conver'sation, which ran along on minor topics for a 
while, was brought back to the subject of the war by 
his own comment on an item of news contained in the 
morning’s paper. For a time, the conduct of battles 
and the merits of officers both at Washington and in 
Ihe field, were freely discussed, and Mr. Smiles seized 
the opportunity t(^ praise the vast ability shown by 
some of the Southern generals and to lament that such 
talent should liave taken the wrong side. He was well 


02 


HAGAR. 


aware that Philip was not the man to like flattery, 
but could not resist the tern tatioii to strike a chord 
which he knew would thrill the military heart — 

“ By the way, Captain Leigh,” he said, ‘‘there is no 
doubt in my mind that if you had cast 3"our lot with 
your native section 3^011 would have been in the coni- 
jiiand of a division now instead of a company'.” 

“Mr. Smiles, I would rather be a private for my 
countiy, than a general against her ! ” 

Soon after dinner Mr. Smiles took his leave, and prom- 
ised to come next daj^ with his 'friends at Chestnut 
drove if he could possibly" allow himself the leisure. 
As he rode slowl.y along through the village, his 
thoughts were occupied with Mrs. Leigh : — 

“ She did not know me — but that’s no wonder, since 
it is more than seven years, and I have undergone a. 
complete metamori)hosis ; she has, meanwhile, become a 
paragon. I must see her again after Leigh’s exit.” 

As he proceeded to the eastward for the purpose of 
making a careful survey of the town, he was alternately 
hilarious and downcast, his philosophical spirit and 
sang-froid, having for the moment deserted him. While 
he felt assured of gaining the desperate game he was 
])laying hy a trifling ruse he had planned, it seemed, at 
the moment to call for none of the finer work of which 
he knew himself capable. This was the only fault he 
found with his attitude toward Captain Leigh. He 
felt no qualm of conscience for the plot he was lajdng, 
but only a conceited notion that the enterprize was not 
worth}^ of his subtle mind. He soon cajoled his pride 
into taking a better view of his task, however, when he 
l e viewed the situation. Was not the object of his quest 
leep in the enemy’s country, surrounded by troojjs, and 
possibly, well on his guard? The chances which these 
reflections suggested heightened the flavor of his under- 
taking, and he remembered that one of his present 
duties was to ascertain if a guard was stationed at. 
night either in the town or the Captain’s house. He 
must visit the camp of his accomplices at once to in- 
form them of the favorable state of their project, and 
return that very night to reconnoitre Newberg. H(* 
stopped and made a hurried entry in his note-book, then 
taking the first turning to the southward trotted away 


HAGAR. 


93 


at a lively pace. The lane in which he found himself 
was jiiuss-grown from fence to fence and it was evident 
that very little traffic passed that way. But it was a 
tdeasant route along which the farm-houses were far 
apart, and he was well aware thaf it led into a road by 
which he could rcijch Deimy’s rendezvous. 

He hat! gone probably two miles when he saw a 
horseman coming in the opposite direction, and was 
amazed as he* approached to find that it was Delmy 
himself dressed ]»recisely like an Ohio farmer. The 
outlaw was scarcely less surprised than his chief. 

“Well Cap, what’s the meaning of tids ? ” asked 
Smiles, imiiatiently. 

“ Don’t give me any of yer airs, parson, if yer please,” 
replied Delmy, insolently, “ I’m under yer orders, I 
know, and I obeyed ye better’n any man 1 ever see, but 
I reckon Tv got something to say, yer know, and I’ve 
made up my mind to git the lay of the land.” 

“ Very well, there’s my hand,” said Smiles, in a con- 
cilatory tone, “ it’s gdod luck that has brought us to- 
gether at this moment, so we won’t quarrel.” 

“Good luck! well, I’m glad to hear it, fur I w^as git- 
tin’ rather down at the mouth. But what do you mean, 

I arson ? ” He spoke in a surly manner, and gave Smiles’ 
liand a languid shake. 

“ Why, I’ve caught our man already — I dined with him 
at noon. As No. 9 w^ould say, ‘ the ’possum’s treed.’ ” 

‘‘ Come now, parson, what yer givin’ us ? ” asked 
Delmy, opening his bleared eyes as wdde as he could, 
and biting a chunk from a black plug of tobacco. 

“The simple truth,” said Smiles, bringing his hand 
down on Deimy’s back with smarting emphasis. He 
gave him a full account of what he had done, and of his 
})lans so far as developed, and then ordered him back to 
camp with all speed and caution to cheer up his men 
and get them in readiness. 

“ If I find that armed guards are stationed in the town 
we may have to wait a few days : but I now think we are 
all right for to morrow’ night.” 

“ Well, look yer, parson, — there’s one thing I w’ant to 
mention before this business goes any f urthei* ; I don’t 
see no use in try in’ to tote a live man into Kentucky 
when we kin just as well kill him ofi‘ and saye our bacon 
— ^besides the swag bein’ lest the same.” 


94 


HAGAE. 


I’m sorry to hear you talk that way, Delmy ; if you 
had seen old man Leigh when he was talking of ho\^ 
Ins son went back on him you wouldn’t think of killing 
ihe boy; Avhy he’s his only child, and what lie wants 
is to ])ut him under lock and key to keep him from tight- 
ing for the North. But that’s not all : we think when 
we once get him where proper inlluences can be brought 
to bear, he will change his mind and take a command in 
our army. Those who know him best say he’ll make 
as good a general as Jackson ; so 3^011 see he’s too valua- 
ble a man to kill, and we are not a band of assassins, 
anjdiow.” 

Delmy assented doggedly, but when Smiles had sent 
him to camp and turned back himself to the east- 
ward, he reflected that his accomplice Avas a ir.an Avho 
would not scruple to desiiatch his prisoner if his own 
safety seemed to i-equire it. 

The night was dark and chilly ; but neither of these 
conditions seemed to make an^^ im^>ression upon him. 
The stars gave sufficient light to enable him to find his 
way, and nature had treated him so kindly with gifts of 
vitality as w^ell as temper, that he might pride him- 
self on being equally indifferent to either heat or cold. 
He trotted leisurely along, to all appearance no more 
ruffled, anxious or vigilant than some innocent circuit- 
rider on his home stretch. He struck the road passing 
through the central part of Newberg and continued into 
the village at the same pace he had been traveling. Now 
and then a snarling cur would fiy from under a fence, 
and dashing into the middle of the road, tear its throat 
with shrill barking; and a few persons more owlish 
than the rest of the village were met and passed with 
a friendly “good night.'” When he reached the 
square, he heard the village singing class chanting 
their closing anthem in the sciipoVhouse, only a 
stone’s throw from Captain Leigh’s. But there was 
nothing to indicate the presence of a military guard, 
or even of civil police. HoweAW, to make assurance 
doubly sure, he checked his horse to a slow walk and 
passed along the street in front of the Leigh cottage. 
It was probable, he thought, that the young southerner 
might have a body guard there at night as a precaution. 
A careful survey soon convinced him that such was 


HAGAR. 


95 


not the case. Nobody was there except Leigh and his 
wife whom he saw throagh a half open shutter, sitting 
at a table reading. 

Entirely satisfied with the result of his investigations, 
he took his bearings for Chestnut Grove, and reached 
the cross-roads where he had instructed Delmy to meet 
him for final orders, Delmy was pleased with the 
]>lainness and simplicity of his directions and said he 
had no doubt of their complete success in capturing 
Leigh the next night, providing a guard was not placed 
in the meantime. Before dismissing him, Smiles hand- 
ed the desperado a diagram he had drawn of the Leigh 
cottage and vicinity, and ordered him to ride through 
the town early next day in his farmer’s suit to make 
himself familiar with the place. Everything being 
arranged so far as was possible until the decisive mo- 
ment, the accomplished rebel agent parted from his 
lieutenant with the following injunction : — 

^‘You must ignore me entirely; for, if I can remain 
here for a time unsuspected, I will be able to help you 
in your flight, and to reward you hereafter.” 

Delmy listened attentively to his chief’s words, and 
signified his assent. His hard visage betrayed no 
sign of interest or enthusiasm, but his small, sharp eyes, 
set deep amid crow-feet, and seared wrinkles that were 
born of vice rather that age, had a determined, and fero- 
cious look in them. 

A few moments later, the Rev. Mr. Smiles was seated 
in the cosy dining room at Chestnut Grove in company 
with Mrs. Taine, who had waited up to see that he should 
not go to bed hungry after an entere day spent in arduous 
missionary labor. It is a strange fact thnt Mrs. Taine 
had never thought any other man worthy of such in- 
dulgence. 


CHAPTER IX. 


Hagar had studiously avoided James since the inci- 
dent of Mr. Smiles’ proposal, and the invalid had been 
turned over to the care of Maria whose teminine insight 
discerned his uneasiness concerning the engagement. 
Maria belonged to that respectable class of persons who 
are emphatically styled “ heli>s ” rather than ser- 
vants.” At this period to most well-to-do eople in the 
West there was no medium between a “ help ” and a 
slave. Their cooks, and housemaids and seamstresses 
were frequently the daughters of their poorer neigh- 
bors, and were treated more like humble members of 
the family than as menials. Maria had been with the 
Taines a number of years in her present capacity, and 
had acquired certain privileges and immunities, amongst 
which was a freedom of speech and an irritating habit 
of interference which had become not only inveterate 
but ineradicable. 

Whenever she came to James’ room she found occa- 
sion to bring him some scrap of information about what 
was going on in the house. At supper time she gave an 
account of Mr. Spencer’s attempt to make a Mormon of 
her. ^^But I’m not so easily caught” she said, ‘‘for I 
should judge by his own account of it, that the Mormon 
Kingdom, which he calls the “ Kingdom of God ” (the 
sinner ! ) must be a very queer place.” 

At breakfast next morning it was some gossip about 
Mrs. Taine’s devotion to Mr. Smiles, and how the latter 
had promised after his marriage with Hagar, to let her 
go and live with them in Boston. But in spite of her 
admiration, she discerned that while the good young par- 
son kept one eye on Hagar, he was fixing the other as ar- 
dently on Mrs. Taine’s money bags. But when she came 
up with his dinner on the day following Mr. Smiles’ mis- 
sionary tour, she appeared so serious that James could 
not help asking her what had happened. She gave 
him a long and most circumstantial account, to the ef- 
fect that Mrs. Taine’s object in visiting Newberg, was to 


HAGAR. 


97 


have Mr. Smiles and Hagar quietly married. Though she 
declared that she was positive such was the case, James, 
who Avas much moved the news, urged her to enquire 
more closely and bring him word again. 

Meanwhile Hagar was disturbed both by Mr. Smiles 
and by the Mormon. Her position had been a very try- 
ing one for the past few days. She had endeavored to 
do what she could to entertain Spencer, but he realized 
the eifort she was making and could not fail to note the 
alternate confusion and abstraction of her bearing 
towards him. It was perfectly clear to him that, 
whether she was performing some of his favorite selec- 
tions on the piano or teaching him croquet, she Avas 
moved by a certain sense of duty. As he tiimly believed 
that not his person but his garb as a Mormon, offended 
her, his calling greAV more sacred to him, and he endured 
whatever seemed to his sensitiA^e nature like a slight, 
with a kind of bitterness that in his Avay of thinking, 
amounted to a species of triumph. 

During Mr. Smiles’ absence he had taken the occasion 
to talk very impressively to her concerning the* present 
joy and future glory of the Latter-day-saints, and find- 
ing that she listened Avith attention, he finally ventured 
to exclaim as gently as the sincere utterance of his 
heart would permit : 

“ Ah, Miss Taine, I would to God you were one of us ! ” 
He did not dare to hope that anything he could say 
Avmuld cause her to break with Mr. Smiles, but he would 
have given a large share of his interest in ^Hhe King 
dom” to have discovered even the slightest defection to 
work upon. 

Why so ? ” — she asked, smiling. 

^^For your own good, wholly,” he replied, “That 
you might know the true gospel. ” 

“ But, Mr. Spencer,” she said, looking him steadily in 
the eyes, “ I could not be one of you. I have heard 
nothing but evil of your religion ever since I can re- 
member, and I do not believe that your prophet was a 
good prophet, or that your church is a good church. 
Your revelations, those in the book you lent me, are so 
funny I could only laugh at them. Ma’am Taine says 
it’s blasphemy, and I really think it is. I don’t want to 
hurt your feelings Mr. Spencer, I would prefer to keep 


1)8 


HAGAE. 


my thoughts to myself : I like you because you are brave 
and good, but I don’t like your religion. We can always 
be friends, though, without speaking of that, can we 
not? For 1 don’t think you can convert me to your 
church, and I’m sure nobody could turn you from it.” 

“ So be it. Miss Taine,” he replied abruptly. I shall 
make no attempt to force my principles upon you. To 
me they are as meat and drink, and it is charity, not 
malice, that prompts me to offer them to foes as well as 
friends.” 

Having found her to be a confirmed scoffer, and de- 
spairing of any favorable results in the line of his duty 
at Chestnut Grove, he concluded that the best thing he 
could do was to take up the thread of his labors where 
he had dropped it in Cleveland, and endeavor to banish 
this attractive little skeptic from his thoughts. He 
must not permit any rolmantic notions to distract his 
higher refiections ; indeed, he had pledged himself not 
to do so : whatever he might have done in the endeavor 
to win the young girl’s heart if she had been a member 
of his church, nothing could justify him, he thought, in 
making a further effort under existing circumstances. 
It was a pity that such a beautiful and clever girl 
Should be damned, but he had done his best to save her 
and must now leave her to her fate. 

It was arranged that he should go to Cleveland with 
Dr. Taine next morning, and after saying good bye to 
Mrs. Taine, he went up to have a parting word with 
J ames. 

“ I feel that I can never repay the debt I owe you,” 
said James, at last, and I sincerely trust that, however 
far we may be driven apart on the ocean of life, we 
shall keep track of each other. For my part, I shall 
be sorry not to know where and how you are, for I feel 
that I have a life interest in you, and you in me. ” 

‘‘You are very polite, Mr. Taine; but there can be 
aothing in common between us unless we are brothers 
in the gospel of the last days. Though you ignore the 
importance of this matter, I cannot do so. .You have 
rejected my message, and thereby you reject me also. ” 
Thus spoke the Mormon with the egotistic bigotry which 
has always characterized his sect. James’ tongue was 
still, because he could not speak without resenting such 


HAGAR. 


1)9 

narrowness, and was reluctant to offend or pain his 
benefactor. The Elder had wheeled about as if intend- 
ing to depart, but he turned round to add : 

“ When I rushed into that burning house and helped 
you. from a perilous position it was not you I sought, 
but a woman, a bright young girl, whose face I saAV 
only for a second through the flames. Had I saved her 
she would have been converted to my faith, and become 
the means, as female converts always are, of leading- 
others to the truth. To you my devotion has no 
significance beyond an act of daring ; to me it means, 
and to her it would have meant, a great deal more. 
No, I shall not come here again unless you wish to cast 
your lot with the people of God whom I represent.’’ 

By this time James’ momentary anno^^ance had been 
changed to amusement, and he said, with a smile : — 

“Even if you had asked me when I was wedged in 
by those bricks and timbers if I would believe your 
doctrines or perish where I la^^, I think I should have 
chosen the latter fate, for it Avould be easier for me to 
sacrifice my life than wilfulH stultify my reason. I 
would rather run the risk of losing my soul by doubting 
a doubtful religion than to have the certainty of losing 
my manhood by pretending to believe it. All men can- 
not agi‘ee upon one common belief ; they must have a 
variet}' of convictions as well as a diversity of tastes, 
talents, employments. This very difference between 
men is one of the most useful and beneficent characteris- 
tics of the human family. If we were all alike, life 
would be a stagnant pool, a mere Hades of monotony. 
We want unity of thought Jind ot action in the direction of 
Justice, of Love, and of Truth ; but even if such a state 
were attainable we should never seek for uniformity of 
worship, of belief, of pursuit any more than of personal 
appearance. The boundless vaidety characterizing 
Nature both animate and inanimate, no doubt has a sig- 
nificance as wide as Creation itself. But in one re- 
spect diversity of opinion has a meaning and an inten- 
tion which is perfectly clear: As to things not abso- 
lutely proved it supplies our chief hope of attaining 
to correct views. But I will not weary you with argu- 
ment. Without regard to your creed or belief I wanted 
to count you as a friend. You reject my proffered 


JOO 


HAGxVR. 


friendship because I have not conformed to your faith. 
I trust you will think better of it. If not I shall hope 
that at some future time we may meet where men base 
tlieir relations to each other on manhood and honor, 
not so capricious a thing as creed. ” Though he made 
his meaning clear there was blended with his ( andor a 
fair proportion of delicacy. 

If we meet at the bar of another world, Mr. Taine, 
we shall see who is right, replied the Mormon, pal- 
])ably displeased. Maria tapped on the door to say Dr. 
Taine was ready to start for the city. Tlie missionary 
was thankful for the interruption, and, taking a hurried 
leave set olf for the scene of his labors. 

Meantime James had sent for Hagar. In a few mo- 
ments she appeared, gave her hand, and took a chair near 
the bed. 

“You sent for me, James?’’ she asked softly. She 
withdrew her hand and sat with her eyes downcast, 
listlessly twirling a bit of crumpled paper which she 
had carried with her. ' 

“ Yes, Hagar, — it seems I must send for you if I wisii 
to see you at all — you have stayed away, and I have 
missed you. But to-day I heard something from 
Maria — which — ” 

“ Maria ! ” she exclaimed, interrupting him, “ do you 
have her bring you tales about me ? ” 

“When so important a step as your marri;tge is re- 
ported and you do not tell me of it 3'ourself ” 

“My marriage!” she said, and followed the words 
Avith a derisive laugh which James knew to be ungen- 
uine and forced. “But what has Mai-ia been saying 
ajbout my marriage ? ” 

“ Why, that it is to take place to-day.” 

Though Hagar laughed again she had turned pale. 

“ But that is not true,” she uttered nervously. 

James grieved to think she could deceive him, but was 
unable to reconcile with her denial her agitated and 
abashed demeanor. 

“ You are not,” he said, gently, still hoping in the midst 
of doubt “ You are not going to Newberg to-day to be 
married to this Mr. Smiles ? ” 

Hagar, whose eyes had been hidden by her drooping 
lids, now looked up with astonishment; for a moment 


HAGAR. 


101 


she was too much dazed to reply ; but she finally said 
in an undecided way : — 

Not that I know of.” Again her eyes fell. 

She paused, and James waited anxiously. She went 
on crumpling the bit of paper, which he then noticed 
for the first time. Presently the mist of apprehension 
vanished from her face, and looking up with her natural 
f ranKness : — 

“We are going to Newberg this afternoon,” she said. 
“ but I have heard nothing — nobody has said a word 
about getting married — unless that is the meaning oi 
tiiis note which I found under my door when I got u]- 
this morning. It is from Mr. Smiles, but I have not an 
swered it nor told him I received it.” She unfolded the 
note as she spoke and seemed relieved by her confession. 
After adding that the contents had made her very un 
happy and that she had been trying all day to make uj. 
her mind to show it to either Ma'am Taine or him, she 
handed it to James. He perused it in silence : It was 
an exquisitely worded bit of romance in which the pious 
yo ng minister proposed a secret marriage and an elope 
ment lor that very day in connection with their visit to 
tlie Leighs. It was signed only with his initials “ B. T. S.” 

“ You say you have not answered it, Hagar ? ” 

“ No, not yet.” 

“ But you have decided what your answer is to be ? ” 

“Yes, I shall refuse: for I know it would make 
Father Taine unhapny if I should do such a thing.” 

“You are right, Hagar, it would make us all miser- 
able,— and none more so. I fear, than yourself. But 
do vou love ^Ir. Smiles ? ” 

“ Of course I do,” she replied, coyly, “He is so intel 
ligent, and so sir erior to other men I have met, that 
1 cannot help feeling that his attention does me honor. 
And he is such a delightful companion; his voice re- 
roinds me of the music he plays, varying with every 
mood. But. I don’t know why I am talking like this to 
YOU, James!” she exclaimed, as if regretting her con- 
firlence — “ I was foolish to answer your questions ; per- 
hayis you were rude to ask them.” 

“ I trust not,” James replied, calmly, “ Even a cousin 
might, I think, be pardoned for taking so much liberty : 
and am I not your brother? Well, it is clear that 


102 


HAGAR. 


you love him I wish it were as certain that he loves 

you as purely and unselfishly.’^ 

“ I am sure he does ! — ^but have you any reason to 
think otherwise ? ” 

“No.” answered James, reluctantly. 

Hagar found Mr. Smiles smoking his cigar in the 
l)orch ; and, after rallying him for sending her a letter 
via the door sill, said candidly that she could not think 
of doing what he proposed because it seemed so unjust 
to Dr. Taine. He hesitated an instant and looked at 
her with peculiar interest ; then, instead of exhibiting 
the slightest symptom of suri)rise or disappointment, 
he smiled benignantly, raised her soft hand to his lips, 
and said with supreme gentleness : — 

“ As you prefer, my darling : your will is my law in 
all that concerns us.” 

Hagar was melted, and felt regretful that she had 
opposed him. Her ideas about marriage, whether 
conventional or with an eloj)ement in the programme 
were innocently vague. Though she had read a few ro- 
mances in which oppressed 3'oung lovers were put to 
heartrending shifts she had very little of mere romance 
in her nature. She was rather apt to ask the reason 
why, and when that is done, there is an end of fantasy. 

At three o’clock Dan drove the old fashioned Clar- 
ence up to the door, with the windows all open, and 
everything looking bright and shipshape. They had 
to wait some time for Mrs. Taine, but the dela^^ was 
sufiiciently explained when she finally arrived on the 
porch, by her elaborate i)reparation. 

“ I have not done such a thing as this for years,” she 
remarked, with more than her usual fussiness, as she 
raised the enormous fiounces of her purple silk dress 
to get into the carriage — “and I should not do it now 
for any one in the world exce])t you, Mr. Smiles.” 

“You are really too kind, my dear Mrs. Taine, but 
you will let our dear Hagar share the compliment with 
me, I am sure.” By this time he had assisted the pur- 
ple silk and crinoline, the small parasol, and “dear Mrs. 
Taine,” into the carriage, where they fully occupied 
the back seat. 

“The idea,” she continued, in the tone of her former 
remark, the idea, of my going to call on that proud. 


HAGAR. 


103 


unchristian woman, who has so long ignored me ! First 
she was a Catholic, and now I believe she’s an infidel ; 
and I to call on her ! Why, Mr. Smiles, it seems quite 
incredible. But I’m a changed woman since I have 
known you, and I have no doubt changed for the better.” 

Mr. Smiles was in one of his most delightful moods, 
and the afternoon was perfect, as they drove along the 
autumn-tinted lanes. Hagar evinced a childish delight 
in, the excursion, regarding it as a foretaste of the free- 
dom she should enjoy when she became the wife of this 
wonderful man, and had a house of her own. The 
dream enchanted her, and as they drew up at the gate 
of the Leigh cottage she thought it a miniature para- 
dise. But just before their arrival there was a scene 
there Avhich would seem to prove that the fairest Eden, 
has its serpent. 

Mark Kilbourne had come out from Cleveland in the 
morning to urge Captain Leigh to make a statement to 
the General to procure protection against the danger of 
which he had been warned. But as Philip had received 
a notice by courier that his request to be sent to the 
front should be complied with in a few da^^s, he posi- 
tively refused to have the matter so much as hinted at to 
the authorities. He appeared to be taciturn and har- 
assed, so Mark had quitted him for a time and gone to 
visit friends in the village. Philip became more 
gloomy after his morning’s work on the parade ground, 
and so terrifie<l his wife by his frantic aspect in the af- 
ternoon, that she had retired to her room in tears. 

Left alone, Captain Leigh i)aced up and down the 
room livid and trembling. He clasped his hands to- 
gether wildly like an actor in a stage passion, then 
knocked one against the other until the bones cracked 
again, or floute<l them through his hair. As he walked 
he muttered fiercely : 

“ Is she wanton or am I mad ? Her betrayer — if he 

was betrayer and not accomplice — as a priest dubbed 
holy . . . May hell scorch such holies ! . . .1 must watch 
her — watch her : I think she blushed when that sleek 
hypocrite in black did bland homage to her beauty. 
They say a girl who is once undone can never be trust- 
ed — ^the taste of sin is lilve a leaven to their natures. 
That is why by the Jewish law the daughter who fell 


104 


HAGAE. 


was put to death. And Desdemona’s father said : 
‘ Look to her Moor, have a quick eye to see, she has de- 
ceived her father, and may thee!’ Oh, Ctod! what a 
thought ! She tiiat I love better than my life. Can vile- 
ness seem so chaste ? Doubt is here like a dagger 
puncturing my heart; I must go hence and drown 
these voices in tlie roar ot battle where some swift 
messenger may bring me peace ” 

At this moment Mark entered to tell him of the Taine's 
arrival at the gate. Philip begged him to receive them 
in his stead, and plunged through a doorway out of sight. 

When su})per’was over and they all reassembled in 
the sitting room, Mark reminded them of the village 
^•oncert which was to be given at the school house for 
the benefit of the Sanitary Commission’s funds. Mrs. 
Leigh was anxious to go, but submitted the matter to 
Mrs. Taine who said that she considered it a duty to 
support every effort made for the benefit of our wounded 
soldiers. Mr. Smiles then insisted upon buying the 
tickets, including one for himself, but protested that he 
w^ould rather stay and have a game of chess, if Cai)tain 
Leigh was agreeable. 

“Oh, I don't mind a game, if you desire it,” replied 
Philip, who had regained tlie outward aspect of com- 
posure. “ Mark, you go with the ladies to the concert, 
and we will join you shortly. Mr. Smiles will soon 
weary of m3" pla^". ” 

The ladies and their escort presently leaving, the 
chess-players lighted their cigars and prepared their 
nieces for the contest. Odds were neither given nor 
taken. Mr. Smiles, having the ‘ pluA",’ opened with 
the King’s Gambit. Wlien an hour had elapsed the issue 
of the game was still in doubt, though the ministei* liad 
tlie advantage by a knight, and a strong position for 
attack and defence. Silence had fallen: an intense 
eagerness showed on the face of Leigh, while the only 
signs of mental strain in Smiles wei^e swollen veins and 
a purple flush across his forehead. By a superb series 
of six or eight moves, military discipline now asserted 
its superiority over clerical astuteness, the minister’s 
game being completely compromised. He felt his dis- 
comfiture keenly, and by a skillful manoeuvre saved 
himself from total defeat by forcing a drawn game upon 
his antagonist. 


HAGAR. 


105 


Smiles glanced at his watch and asked Philip if thej 
should play a second game. Philip declined, and 
brought his own and Mr. Smiles’ hat and overcoat. He 
l)ut on his own, and walked toward Smiles who stood 
before the window striliing two or three matches in the 
endeavor to light his cigar. 

“Ah ! at last,’’ said Smiles, “after burning my finger 
to the bone.” As he thanked Philip for helping him on 
with his Chesterfield, three men with masks on their 
faces and arms in their hands rushed into the room, ex- 
tinguished the lamps and threw themselves on Leigh 

A fierce struggle in the darkness, the crash of a chair 
falling and a body felled : and silence broken by a single 
moan expiring in a denser silence. The desperadoes 
had secured their prize, and Smiles lay in a dead faint, 
struck down by a chair which Leigh had whirled at haz- 
ard, and which, unknown to himself, had wounded his 
most inveterate enemy. 


CHAPTER X. 


Bj da^’light next morning the country for miles 
around was aroused and in arms. The members of 
Captain Leigh’s company had assembled at Newberg 
and started out in parties under lieutenants and ser- 
geants in search of the trail of the marauders. 

For the first time since the fall of Sumter the quiet 
hamlets of northern Ohio were thrilled with patriotic 
zeal as if their very hearthstones were assailed by the 
rebel horde. The Cleveland papers contained a full 
account of the affair, which Mark reported, and a glow- 
ing telegram was dispatched by the Associated Press 
to all parts of the country. It seemed im])ossible that 
the band of Delmy would be able to elude their pur- 
suers. But as days went by without any tidings, 
though the State and National authorities were exert- 
ing every influence at their command, hope waned, 
and in the heart of Captain Leigh’s young wife became 
transmuted to despair. Ten days after the abduction, 
Mark Kilbourne was in Cincinnati, having ridden on 
horse-back the entire distance. He and his party had 
crossed the trail of the fugitives at two different points ; 
but wherever there was a telegraph line by which in- 
formation might have been sent ahead, Delmy took care 
to cut it, and had finally vanished like a i3hantom. 

Mark was haggard, pale and dejected. The excitement 
of the chase had sustained him and his band without 
the help of due nourishment or sleep ; but when they 
were obliged to accept the conviction that Delmy had 
made good his escape and carried his prisoner with him. 
the reaction was extreme. After a few hours’ rest 
and a friiitle'sls inquiry ,of tiiei 'authorities <at Cin- 
cinnati, M irk decided to write a full account to Mrs. 
Leigh, of the ])ursuit, and of the probable situation 
and fate of Philip. 

That same day Captain Leigh was sitting on a log 
near a campfire, bound fast, and reading a Cincinnati 


HAOAR. 


107 


newspaper. It w^as dated two days after liis abduction 
and contained a narrative of that event as given to a 
special correspondent, in an interview, by Mr. Smiles. 
The despatch was dated “Newberg,” and began with 
naming headlines. 

The details given were tolerably accurate up to the 
time that Philip was dragged from the house but what 
followed had a pressing interest for the prisoner as it 
contained news of subsequent events. The substance 
of this was a description of Mr. Smiles’ injuries received 
in defence of Captain Leigh, the I’eport said, and the 
startling information that Mi's. Leigh had insisted upon 
caring for the injured minister at her own house, where 
Mrs. and Miss Taine were staying with her. 

Mr. Smiles related his conviction that the attack was 
made by bu glars. He said he had resisted until stunned 
and left for dead, and was astonished on his return to 
consciousness to hear the cry of where is Captain 
Leigh ? ” He had not heard of the warning received 
by Philip, and had no occasion for apprehending dan- 
ger ; but he had a firm conviction that if the negro Dan, 
Mrs. Taine’s coachman, had not gone to sleep in the hay- 
loft, he might have warned them in time to have preven- 
ted the attack. 

‘‘However,” the injured minister remarked towards 
the close of the interview, “ while I shall be the last per- 
son in the world to implicate Captain Leigh in the plot, 
it certainly seems very strange that the details should 
have been so well concerted, and that I, unarmed and de- 
fenseless as I was, should have been nearly murdered 
while defending him, and he, to all appearances, carried 
away unhurt.” 

The correspondent could not close without making a 
feeliing reference to the courtesy and cultured bearing 
of Mr. Smiles, and to the great kindness and hospitality 
of Mrs. Leigh who spai’ed no pains to give her husband’s 
gallant defender every comfort of a pleasant home. 
I’hilip smiled bitterly at the sentimental gush with 
which the despatch concluded, but was really amused 
with other portions of it. 

“ They evidently have a report that T am my own ab- 
ductor, and my friend, the Boston ])arson, seems to favor 
its plausibility,” he mused, as he turned over the limp 


108 


HAGAR 


and faded sheet, which had been brought into camp that 
morning w^’apped around some pro*ender irom a cross- 
roads store. 

Part of the gang were lying a slioit distance from 
liim wrapped in blankets and fast asleep. Delmy was 
sitting on a log in front of him cleaning a carbine that 
had got wet in fording a stream the previous day, and 
another man, a small fellow of })lebian Creole type, sat a 
few feet further off repairing a saddle girth. The camp 
was in a small cleai'ing in the midst of an almost prim- 
eval forest, and the only sound which broke the stillness 
of the warm cloudy afternoon, was the intermittent roar 
of a river they had crossed the previous night. 

The carbine in Delmy’s hands was accidently dis- 
charged, the huge bullet striking the ground near Phil- 
ip's feet and hissing away among the foliage of the trees 
behind him. In an instant every man sprang to his feet 
and grasped his gun to repel an attack. Philip, whose 
face was pelted with the sand thrown up by the bullet 
as it passed him, looked up from his paper, and broke 
the most rigid rule of his captors by exclaiming 
angrily : 

“What’s the matter. Captain, do you mean to mur- 
der me ! ’’ 

“ No — it’s nothing — hold your tongue,” growled Delmy. 

Philip had been ordered not to speak above a whisper 
under pain of being gagged. But Delmy motioned the 
men back as they rushed towards him, and flinging the 
carbine into the thicket, said it was no good. He then 
ordered the men to resume their rest as he knew they 
must need it. 

“ As to yerself, Mr. Leligh, sense ye’v bin so well be- 
haved so fur, I don’t mind ef ye do talk a little bit in a 
low voice. 1 don't like to be too hard on no man,” said 
Delmy in a voice of unwonted generosity. 

“Thank you very much,” replied Philip, “I feel so 
thoroughly ^ost that I'd like to ask you where we are, 
Ca[)tain ? ” 

“ Well, we’re gittiii’ on, gittin’ on slowly, but we ain’t 
thar yit, not by a long shot.” 

“ Was not that the Ohio River we crossed last night ? ” 

“ It mout a bin, and then agin it moutn’t : Leastways, 
I can't tell ye, fur I don’t know^ geography very well, 
and I’m preoccnj^ied wdth my reflections.” 


HAGAR 


101 ) 


Delmy had shown the most astonishing acqiiaintam e 
with the country between Cleveland and the Kentucky 
Irontier, and had succeeded in bi iiigiiig his prisoner tid- 
umphantly into the borders of a friendly state. His 
present stopping place was on the Kentucky shore of 
the Ohio, a lew miles above Ma^^sville, at which point 
he had arrived without horses, having sunk the jaded 
nags that brought him the last stage, in the turgid 
stream before he ci osi-ed. Hut one wretched beast could 
be found in the neighborhood, and this one had canned 
‘‘No. ,9” to Maysville that morning to procure the 
mounts for the iiarty which had been arranged for. 
Delmy knew that there was too much Northern sym- 
pathy at M;iysville for him to pass that way, but he had 
plenty of friends there, and felt that one more night's 
travel would bring liim to a noint on the railroad from 
which he could proceed o])e]dy. and as a hero, to his des- 
tination. 

Having fi n’slied supper in a few minutes, the men 
proceeded to ’ a"k no their meagre belongings, and Del- 
my, approaching Philip and addressing him in a low 
and deferential tone, said : 

“It goes right hard with me. ^Ir. Leigh, to see a 
Southern gentleman o’ vour standin’ in this here kind 
of a fix. Hut, ye see. T can’t very well ask one of the 
boys to tote two saddle'-^, so we’ll all have to pack our 
own traps. I hope yon don’t obSject.’’ 

“Not at all,” said Philid, cheerfully — “I shall try to 
do my part to assure the siuM^ess of this noble expedi- 
tion.” 

His hands were again tied behind him, and Delmy 
smiled grind v as he stram*fMl the heavy Mexican saddle 
over the prisoner’s shoulders. 

It was almost dark, and the ’'ale light of the stars was 
beginning to show through the twilight as one by one 
the men took up their burdens, Delmy being the last to 
fling a saddle over his back. As he did so, he said: 
“ Come on bovs, it’s not over three miles to Simpson’s 
Hend.” 

They started towards the path that led through the 
thicket on the Mavsville side of the clearing, but at 
that moment a clear voice called out from the rear of 
the Camp the one word ; 


no 


HAGAR 


“ Surrender ! ” 

Delmy wheeled about and clutched his carbine fierce- 
ly, but before he could bring it to his shoulder he stag- 
gered and fell to the earth, mortally Avounded by a bul- 
let from the underbrush. None of his men were ready 
for a sudden attack ; and they were so appalled at the 
sight of their fallen chief, and of the armed men who 
now surrounded them, that they halted and flung down 
their arms in despair. 

Again the voice of the attacking leader was heard : 

“ If you will all surrender unconditionally we will 
not fire another shot, but not one of you must move on 
pain of death.^^ 

^‘As we’ve been betrayed, boys, and they’re tAvo to 
one, there’s nothing for it but surrender,” said one of 
the men, doggedly. 

^^Fall into line, then, and face this way,” said James 
Taine, Avhom Thilip iioav recognized as the commander 
of the surprise party. 

Delmy’s men promptly obeyed the order, and while 
part of the rescuers stood guard with fixed bayonets 
others proceeded to put handcuffs on the prisoners, who, 
for further safety, were all made fast to a strong trace- 
chain so that they could march single file. All this 
was done with remarkable expedition. Philip’s thongs 
and burden were removed, and James congratulated 
him upon his good luck. 

The order was given to march, and the Ohio boys pro- 
ceeded with their captives along the riA^er bank for 
about a mile. At that point James fired tAvo shots in 
quick succession from his revolver, and two good sized 
boats were rowed quickly from the opposite shore. 
During the walk from the camp and while crossing in 
the boat, James and I*hilip were talking apart. 

By what miracle have you been healed of your in- 
juries, and enabled to effect this long journey, and my 
rescue ? ” asked Philip, as soon as James was at leisure 
to converse. 

It has all been more simple, Phil, than it appears at 
first sight,” James replied. As days ela])sed without 
any news of you, I felt an irresistible longing to take 
})art in the chase. It was on the fourth day after your 
disai)pearance that I told Dr. Wari*en of my resolve to 


HAGAE. 


Ill 


start out in search of you. That day the doctor said 
I should incur great risk to my life, and advised me not 
to think of such an act. I promised to postpone my 
decision until the following day, and to ask his opinion 
again. Meanwhile I mentioned the matter to some 
of the bo3'S, and they were perfectly willing to join me. 
When the doctor arrived next day, I was walking about 
the room feeling like a well man ; my strength seemed 
to build up rapidly as my determination became indom- 
itable. The doctor thought this an interesting circum- 
stance, and finally gave his consent to go forward with 
my project. That night we took the train to Cincinnati, 
and as good luck would have it struck the trail of your 
captors in Brown County two days later.” 


CHAPTER XI. 


At Newberg it had been snowing incessantlj^ ; and 
lately a biting frost set in, and an icy wind from the 
lakes was heaping up great drifts like breast- works of 
crystal along the fences and across the roads. The 
chimney corner was now the only comfortable place 
even for those in vigorous health, and the gentle nurses 
who had Mr. Smiles in chai ge would have looked upon 
it as sheer madness to think of nmving their patient 
to Chestnut Grove. 

A month had elapsed since the incident which made 
him so fortunate a captive, and Mr. Smiles was quite 
himself in general health, though his broken ankle was 
slow to knit. During his gradual convalescence he had 
made it a point to hobble into the sitting room from 
time to time, and never failed to delight his companions 
by his charming musical selections, and his varied and 
attractive conversation. He had. taught Hagar 'the 
game of chess while still confined to his bed, and she 
had sat for hours reading to him in his chamber — the 
sequel being that the ardent young lady loved this ac- 
complished man almost to adoration. 

He was so patient and amiable, even merry, through 
all his sufferings — so considerate and uncomplaining, 
and so gentle and loving to herself, that she was con- 
strained to look upon him as a superior being, who was 
conferring an honor in giving her his love. She had 
often heard the old saw about ‘‘ living with people to 
find them out,” and had she not lived in close intimacy 
with her lover for a month, attending him through a 
paint 111 illness, observing him (she could not realize how 
uncritically) at one time delirious from the effects of the 
blow on his head, and at another threatened with the loss 
of a broken limb, only to discover in his character new 
excellencies every day ? 

At length the weather moderated, and by the dawning 
of the New Year the snow had almost entirely disap- 
peared. A prevailing southerly wind had brought to 


HAGAR. 


lia 


tlie wintry region the balmy breath of Spring, and Ha- 
gar and her prosjjective husband agreed that now was 
the time to move to Chestnut (Jrove, which was done 
\\ iihout delay. 

A few days after her return home Hagar wrote an 
all'ectionate note to Hr. Taine who had remained at 
Cleveland since James’s exx)edition, lor the purpose 
of breaking to him the news of her intended marriage, 
and begging him to come to see them all while the weath- 
er was so fine. 

A da^^ or two later Dr. Taine came to Chestnut Grove 
unexpectedly just in time for tea. Hagar ran out to 
greet him with all her wonted tenderness ; but to AHs. 
Taine and the minister his arrival was an unwelcome 
surprise. The Doctor had determined to question Mr. 
Smiles on the subject of his intended marriage, and after 
supper invited him into the study for that purpose. 

They had chatted a few minutes when the Doctor 
said : 

“ I understand, Mr. Smiles, though you have not your- 
self mentioned the subject to me, that you intend to 
take my daughter Hagar to wife ? ” 

“Rather, your adopted daughter, I believe, Doctor? 
Ves sir, that is quite true.” 

This impertinent qualification did not sound well to 
the Doctor’s ear, so he spoke up rather severely : 

“ I call her my daughter, for she seems like my 
own having grown up here from infancy. I love her 
as my own ; seek her happiness as if she were my own ; 
protect her as my own.” 

“ Or better, perhaps ; ” said Smiles to himself, as the 
doctor dwelt on these expressions. “ Egad ! perhajis 
she is your own ! ” 

The Doctor went on : 

“You Svdll jiardon me, therefore, if I ask you a ques- 
tion or two, which. I a])prehend, are wholly unnecessary, 
but are not intended to be impertinent or offensive." 

“ You will admit, Doctor, that we should not suspect 
our own cloth ! But, I shall gladly answer any ques- 
tion you are pleased to put if it is in my power.” 

“ There are, no doubt, many societies in a great city 
like Boston w^hich do not figure in the directories?” 

“ I should say so, certainly,” Smiles replied, coolly, 
catching tlie Doctor’s drift at once. 


114 


HAGAH. 


“ 1 was looking for the address of your society of the 

Christian Disci^des ’’ in a Boston directory for 1861, 
but could not find it.” 

I was not aware that we did not figure in that re- 
spectable volume, but am delighted to hear that such 
is the case. The circumstance, however, is easily ac- 
counted for : our object is to act, not to })ose. I see how 
it is, Doctor Taine, you doubt me, though for what rea- 
son — well, perhai)s you could hardly say yourself ? 

A steady look convinced him that the old gentleman 
was not instigated by anything more serious than a 
passing caprice, so he altered his tone and continued 
with humility : But, believe me, sir, I shall not go one 
step further in this affair until your doubts are cleared 
up. A letter simply addressed to the secretary of our 
society, Boston, will meet Avith a prompt reply. If it is 
not satisfactory concerning me I will withdraw at your 
command. Do you ask more than this ? ” 

Here was exactly what the Doctor had already done, 
and his misgivings noAV seemed to fade out of his mind. 
He could scarcely catch an outline of them, or frame 
a doubt on which to string them together again. It Avas 
clearly, he reflected, a case of youth and love : the ha]v 
py smile of Hagar, her dream of the joys promised by 
her new estate, were present in the old man’s reflec- 
tions ; for a moment he could not find Avords to reply. 
Finally, he said : 

“ I tiiiiik your motto, “ To act, and not to pose,” is one 
of the best I ever heard for any society. Your organi- 
zatioii must be a noble one.” He spoke like one who 
Avas trying to repair a wound he had inflicted without 
l)rovocation, and little thought the ^ motto’ was com- 
])osed at the moment it was pronounced. ^^But” he 
continued, still regarding himself as an offender, “ you 
must not imagine that I meant to infer anything unjust 
to you, Mr. Smiles, far from it ; and I should like you to 
tell me something about the work in AA^hich your society 
is engaged.” 

In nothing was Mr. Smiles more at home than in the 
description of philanthropic enterprise. On this oc- 
casion he made such a deep impression upon his audi- 
tor that the Doctor consumed four pages of his next 
letter to James in recounting the virtues of the Chris- 


HAGAE. 


115 


tiau Disciples, of whom Mr. Smiles was represented as 
a leader. 

When Mr. Smiles witiid ew and left him alone to his 
meditations, the Doctor’s niiiid was entirely at rest 
where the young minister was concerned ; and when 
the latter reentered the sitting room where Mrs. Taine 
and Hagar were awaiting him, he said in reply to their 
enquiring looks : 

‘^He has consented.” 


CHAPTER XII. 


■\Viio buys a minute’s mirth, to wail a weekl 

Or sells eternity to get a toy 1 

For one sweet grape, who will the vine destroy ? 

Or what toud beggar, but to touch the crown. 

Would with the sceptre straight be stricken down?” 

— Shakspeare. 


Next morning, as soon as he got an opportunity to 
speak with Mrs. Taine — (and he always made a point of 
letting her feel the honor oT his coiitidences,.) Mr. 
Smiles informed her that he had received a call from 
his Society to an important field of duty at Cincinnati, 
and caused that good woman no small amount of con- 
sternation by telling her that he should be comi elied 
(though much against his wdshes) to postpone his 
marriage Avith Hagar for at least a year on account of 
these labors and the meagreness of his reA^enues. 

Nonsense ! ’’ exclaimed Mrs. Taine, with a pene- 
trating glan^ce through the gold-rimmed spectacles, 
‘Did you suppose for one moment that I had failed to 
])rovide for such a contingency ? Listen : I have it plot- 
ted, mapped, and scheduled, as my agent says; that's 
t ly habit wdth all I do. I have |2,000 in the bouse that 
I have been waiting to place in your hands. And uoav 
that you must make this trip, I will send for |2.(I0() 
more, and you shall take your wufe wuth you. Oh I not 
a wmrd, not a wmrd — I won’t hear it. I’m an awT ul ty- 
rant to those I love. Sit dowm and listen She w as 
(piite out of breath as she dropped into her chair, and 
^.eemed more than usually excited. 

“You see. Dr. Taine, said she, speaking with anx- 
ious haste, and clasping one of the young man’s hands 
in both her owm, “with his usual wrong-headediiess, 
said he thought the wedding should be a quiet family 
aft'air, and ])erformed here at the house by himself. 
But I want it to take place in church — ^j^our church, I 
mean, wdth all the requisite surroundings, floral decora- 
tions and so forth, as dictated by good breeding. 1 
want a brilliant choral service too — a regular stylish 


HAGAR. 


117 


wedding-, you know\ Some people have reviled me and 
misrepreisented me for my treatment of Hagar, and 1 
mean to let them see by the wedding 1 give her how they 
have wronged and misjudged me. ’’ 

‘‘ My dear Madame, ” said Mr. Smiles, concealing his 
amusement, and leaning towards her with a look of en- 
treaty, “ you are too good and generous. 1 could not 
allow you to waste your money in such a way upon us. 
I should prefer to have you send the sum such a service 
would cost, to one of the hosj)itals. M^^ own tastes, as 
you well know, are opposed to everything like ostenta- 
tion, and the public wedding which you unselfishl}' pro- 
pose, would be entirely out of keeping wdth my charac- 
ter and calling. I trust, therefore, that you will let your 
bounty take another shape, and absolve me from such 
an ordeal.’’ 

‘^But wdiat will the friends of my family think?’’ 
asked Mrs. Taine, in a tone which told that her resolu- 
tion had been sadly shaken by the parson’s few well 
chosen words. 

“ What will they think in any case, ? ” He asked, 
•significantly, but with a good natured smile. “ Some 
would doubtless say that our public wedding was for 
vulgar display, Tvhile others w^oiild contend with equal 
vehemence that a i)rivate ceremony is the result of vul 
gar parsimony. I should much prefer Dr. Taine to 
oOiciate : besides, it will please Hagar. And, moreover, 
why would it not be well since we cannot evade reproach 
as the world goes, to choose the course which is most 
congenial to ourselves ? ” 

The magical effect of his reasoning w’as evidenced by 
the old lady’s re];ly : 

“ Well then, I w^on’t oppose j^ou,” she said, wfith her 
(‘haracteristic little laugh, a sort of forced titter, “ for it 
is entirely useless, I find. And besides, by having a 
quiet w^edding, w'e shall keep all the more money for 
our European travels: T have given (juite enough for 
the war, w^hen you count the new' taxes ! Very well ; 
that is settled — now^ let me proceed. No use thinking o\‘ 
crossing the ocean before April or May, and in the mean- 
time you can give the society notice that you want leave 
for a few months; say, from May 1st: that will give 
them time to send somebody to relieve you. When 


118 


HAGAB. 


shall we have the wedding ? She asked the last ques- 
liuii suddenly as if the remainder of ner plan depended 
on the reply. 

“AVithout delay,” answered Mi\ Smiles, “if I am to 
take Hagar with me, for my orders are to go to Cincin- 
nati at the earliest possible moment.” 

“ Yes if Hagar is agreeable : I will ask her.'' 

I will answer for her — it will be all right.” 

And it was even so ; Hagar was not in the least op 
posed to a hasty marriage, but stipulated that one mort 
day should be allowed her for indispensable prepara 
tions. 

This being Tuesday,” she said to her betrothed, who 
was holding her fast in his embrace, “ let us have the 
ceremony on Thursday afternoon. I must go and fetch 
Josephine, you know. Will you come with me, Benja- 
min ? ” she concluded, with an arch look. 

“ Hagar," he replied, “ I do not think Mrs. Leigh will 
care to come and I hope you won't urge her. You are 
quite right that Thursday will be better than to-morrow, 
and you might go and see Mrs. Leigh to-day. I, how- 
ever, shall not have the pleasure of going with you, as 
1 shall be detained by some important corres])ondence 
which I have already neglected too long. And, by the 
bye, dear Hagar, you might ask Mrs. Leigh, casually, you 
know, for the address of her husband : I’m anxious to 
communicate with him.” 

“ But why may I not urge Josephine to come ? ” 

Because I want you all to myself, you little rogue.” 

“ I believe you are jealous of her ! ” 

“ Well, it doesn’t signify so long as you are not,” he 
]*eplied, laughingly. “ So be off with you, and don’t for- 
get your errand to obtain the address of Captain Leigh.” 

A few minutes later Hagar drove over to Newberg, 
where she passed the day mth her friend. 

Though he had been subjected to several interruptions 
b 3 " his most assiduous hostess, Mr. Smiles completed 
his tasks before the short winter day had dropped its 
curtains in the west. He then seemed restless for 
H agar’s retih’n, and after w^alking to the gate and tak- 
ing a long lo«k down the road, he paced the avenue lis- 
tening for the approach of her carriage wheels. 

“ Well, my d.arling, how did you find Mrs. Leigh ? ” 
he asked, as he helped her to alight. 


HAGAE. 


119 


‘‘ Lonely and sad enough. She is in a dieadful way 
about her husband — ^you know, he never came back to 
see her after he was kidnapped?’’ 

“ What can it mean ? Of course you have invited 
her to come here on Thursday — and is she coming ? ” 

“ No ; she said it ^Avould be impossible. She is op- 
pressed by some great sorrow, I am sure. She tries to 
conceal it but it shows too plainly on her face. Ever 
since I left her that sad white face has haunted me. 
She seems to be quite desperate.'’ 

“ Poor woman ! ” exclaimed Mr. Smiles. “ I was 
right, she remembers ” — ^he said to himself. 

“ Hagar,” said he tenderly as they went along in the 
twilight, “ can you realize that oul^' this night and one 
more have to pass, and you will be my own ? ” Her 
eyes were on the ground and she made no reply. 

“Now suppose,” he continued, watching her closely, 
“ suppose that an^^thing should happen to prevent our 
union?” She looked up suddenly, startled from her 
reverie. 

“ But nothing can ! ” she replied, simply. 

“Nothing of the sort seems likely, I know. But, 
suppose (bearing in mind the uncertainties of life), 
that some unforeseen contingency should arise to pre- 
vent it ? ” 

“It would kill me!” she replied, nestling more close- 
ly' to his strong arm. 

“Well then,” he went on, after kissing her to quiet 
her fears, “ what if we are duly married and I always 
remain a poor missionary, as at present ? ” 

“ Poverty has no terrors for me,” she replied spirit- 
edly ; “ I know how to work, and I am neither ashamed 
nor afraid to do so. Whether we have a cot or a man- 
sion, I will always strive to give it the attractions of 
home for you.” 

. “ But, if I should be driven and persecuted and we 
never have even a cot to call our own ? ” 

“Why talk of such things ? You will never be ^driv- 
en’ or ‘persecuted,’ and a man of your talent and educa- 
tion can obtain whatever he wants in this great land. 
I don’t believe in talking about misfortune before it 
comes, and even then, I think, the least said about it, 
the better.” 


120 


HAGAE. 


“ Ha ! ha ! ” he cried merrily, I only asked these 
questions to hear your sweet replies, and now I am sat- 
isfied. Even if I had to suffer martyrdom, would you 
wish to perish with me at the stake ? ’’ 

‘‘ Indeed I would ; I could not survive your loss for 
a day ! ” 

“And all this for a poor unknov»^n parson! Ah, well, 
Hagar, perhaps you might have done worse. Heaven 
knows ! But now, tell me, did Mrs. Leigh give you her 
husband’s address ? ” 

“ Yes, it is Cairo, Illinois, at present, but he is going 
into Tennessee at once.” 

Before he said good night, after a game of chess and 
some music, he informed Hagar that he must go into 
the city next day to communicate by telegraph with 
his superiors, and to attend to other urgent business. 


CriAPTER A I II. 


Oblivious to the fact that both the civil and military 
police of Cleveland were that day on the lookout for 
an agent of the ‘‘ Disciples/’ Mr. Smiles drove into the 
cit 3 " late in the afternoon. Having posted several 
letters, and sent a number of despatches in cipher, he 
attended to other business matters and finally called 
at one of the branch telegraph offices to forward this 
brief telegram : — 

“ Madame Adamanti, No — St., Cincinnati : 

Expect me with a recruit soon. March.” 

Before reentering the carriage, he held a quiet con- 
versation with Dan, who then drove out of the city and 
took the road towards Newberg. Though the evening 
was cold Smiles was mopping the perspiration from 
his forehead. His face showed more expression than 
usual ; the veins of his neck and temples were purple 
and distended, and a pallid ring like a chalk mark en- 
circled his mouth. He made an efl'ort to shake off 
these ague-like symptoms, but without success. He 
strove to convince himself that Josephine had recog- 
nized him during his stay at her house. Her refusal 
to come to the wedding he thought a strong proof, and 
what could be more conclusive than the fact that she 
had remained constantly with him for a month instead 
of flying to her husband who was detained at Cincin 
nati by his professional duties ? 

“It is enough, and more than enough: why should 1 
hesitate ? The case of poor Hagar is rather a hard one 
anyhow\ and while this enterprise, if it is successful, 
will probably throw her into a. fever, it may^ save her 
from — well, from something worse ! And this will be 
a sweet revenge on Leigh for crushing my head and 
breaking my leg.” 

The carriage stopped at the Leigh cottage, and Mr. 
Smiles was quite his natural self again, seeing still be- 
yond the hazard, the certainty of success. 

I wonder if she is alone ? ” thought he as he noticed 


HAGAB. 




that the blinds were closely drawn, and that only a thin 
streak of light was visible at one side of a window^ He 
looked at his watch. It was eight o’clock. As he 
alighted from the carriage he remarked that the school 
house in the square was lighted, and muttered scorn- 
fully 

‘‘Another infernal concert, I suppose !” 

“ Dan, ” said he softly, as he buttoned his overcoat 
closely about him, “ blanket your horses and sit inside 
the carriage, 1 won’t be long. And look here, I'm going 
to give 3'ou more for to-night’s work than Dr. Taine 
gives you in six months, provided you do just as I tell 
you. In religious matters there are many things to be 
done that you won’t understand, so all you have to do 
is obey orders and ask no questions, you see ? 

“ Oh yes, I ’stan fust rate, Mars’ Smiles, dem’s jest 
my orders from missus, an ’ I ’ beys her ebbery time,” 
said Dan, imitating the low voice of his present master. 

“ It may be that some of these cheeky villagers will 
stop to ask you whom you have brought here to-night. 
If they do, you can tell them it’s Mrs. Taine who liae 
called on her way from town to take Mrs. Leigh home 
for Miss Hagar’s wedding. You might say on your own 
account that it is not likely Mrs. Leigh would care to 
liave a neighbor drop in.” 

One of Mr. Smiles’ proverbs was that no man could 
be a thoroughly good rogue unless hel was an adept at 
lying, and he was not averse to trying his skill now and 
then in the latter art. 

He had laid his crutch aside in the morning and walked 
with a slight limp; but he approached the door with 
a light tread and rapped gently with his knuckles. No 
answer. He rapped a little Ipuder. 

“ Come in,” was the languid summons of a voice which 
he recognized as that of Mrs. Leigh. 

He entered, hat in I* and. She was alone, and sat with 
a small table drawn near the fire reading a volume of 
poems. She had attired herself as attractively as when 
expecting Philip to come home, and was thinking of his 
gloomy bivouac somewhere in the wilds of Tennessee 
when the knock awoke her from her reverie. 

“ You, Mr. Smiles ! ” she exclaimed in a startled voice. 
The apparition of her late patient was not a pleasant 


HAGAR. 


12a 


sui prise 5 but she quickly resumed her composure, and 
lising, advanced a step towards him to oiler him her 
hand. 

What a vision ! ’' he muttered to himself, as she came 
forward. 1 am afraid I have disturbed you, my dear 
xUrs. Leigh,” he continued as he shook her hand cere- 
moniously j but the fact is, I could not find it in my heart 
to leave this part of the country witliout calling to see 
you once more, and this was my only opportunity. Ani 
1 forgiven?” 

am sure it was very kind of you to think of me, 
Mr. fcjmiles,” said Mrs. Leigh, with' cordiality. She re- 
sumed her rocking chair, and beckoned him to be seated. 

You have quite recov'ered, it seems, as you have dis- 
carded your crutches ? ” she added, glancing at him a 
look of interest. 

Yes : only a slight lameness remaining, thanks to 

your tender care, and Hagar’s, of course She was 

very devoted for one so young, was she not?” 

‘‘1 think Hagar a model of unselfishness, and true 
womanly gentleness. I have seen very few like her.” 

“ I have seen at least one who was her equal in these 
beautiful traits. But why recur to that now ? I have 
(*alled with another object besides merely seeing you, 
Mrs. Leigh : But, tell me, why were you so startled 
when I came in ? ” 

Jose])hine had sunk back quite languidly in her cush- 
ioned rocking chair, and was listening to Mr. Smiles 
with friendly interest. 

“ I must really ask your pardon, Mr. Smiles ; I was 
surprised to see you, for I had not dreamed of such a 
ceremonious caller.” 

But why were you surprised at my apparition — 
did .you think I should prove so ungrateful as to go 
awa.y without even bidding you good-bye? Well, it 
is enough that I was not so. I have been looking for- 
ward to this hour when I might offer .you a memento 
of m.y esteem and gratitude. Will you accept it?” 
Leaning towards her he held open in his hand a tiny 
velvet case from which the glare of a brilliant diamond 
set in a heav.v gold ring, flashed in her eyes. She took 
it mechanicail.y, and raised the massive jewel from its 
socket. Her onl.y emotion as she held it up was that 


124 


HAGA1^. 


or doliglited curiosity wliicli T.'omen iisuallj' exhibit 
at the sijj^ht of an.ytiiiiig rarely boautiu.i. But of a 
•?r.dden as she examine i it, she k*t it fall from her shak- 
ing hand, and stared into his face, lie had not expect- 
ed the ring to ])roduce exactly this elfect, and felt slight- 
ly disconcerted. He sj)rang forward to her support, 
but she q;iickly recovered herself. 

“It is nothing — onl}' a slight faintness — I have been 
sitting too near the fire. ” 

With much courteous fluster he })roceeded to move 
the table and her chair away from the hearth, saying 
as he did so that the room Avas decidedly Avarm. 

“ Will you please bring me a glass of Avater from the 
next room. You Avill find a caralfe on the sideboard.’^ 
Immediately he turned, she took a hurried but search- 
ing look at the ring, and then replaced it in the case 
and laid it on the table. As she (’id so she muttered 
to herself :: — 

“ It is ; it is ! 

In those feAV seconds the incidents of years thronged 
through her memory, and as he returned to her side she 
scrutinized his features (losely, but without detecting 
anything to justify her in connecting him with her for- 
mer acquaintance with the dazzling gem. 

She moistened her li]As Avith the water and thanked 
him for his trouble. Mr. Smiles felt puzzled. Could 
she still be ignorant of his identity a.fter havmg recog- 
nized the ring ? Or was . this merely a bit of comedy to 
try him? After a moment’s pause he took the jewel 
from the table and exclaimed in an injured tone : 

“ What ! you have abandoned the souvenir ? ’’ 

“You owe me nothing Mr. Smiles, and I can accept 
nothing from you for the poor hospitality I could offer 
you when you were nearly killed in m^^ husband’s 
defence, 

“ You do not like the ring ? ” 

“ Oh, yes — I think it the finest one I ever saw. ” 

“ You may well say so, for there are few like it, and 
yet you refuse it ? It is old and of historical fame. I 
bought it from a foreigner years ago, and you are the 
;)nly friend I have had Avhom I deemed worthy of it. ” 

“ But you have not ov ned it long, you say ? ” 

Mrs. Leigh asked this qnevlior, r cilmly, but she felt 
a fearful apprehension stealing over her. 


HAGAE. 


125 


Oh, yes, I have, ” replied Smiles quickly, “Nobody 
except myself has ever owned it — in this country-—! 
have had it for ten years. 

Mrs. Leigh was silent for a moment. She was unable 
Lo speak. Breaking the pause with an effort, she said i 

“Then, pardon me. Should you not give it to your 
bride rather than lo a stranger ’’ Again she took the 
opportunity to scan his features, and a sense of dreamy 
bewilderment took possession of her, as she once more 
1 ailed to recognize the man. 

“ May I not give what is my own to whom I choose ? 
— provided, of course, the chosen one will accept. But 
it is plain you do not like my offering. It does not please 
you ; therefore, I must urge you no further, but will take 
my leave with all proper apologies.’’ At this he rose 
and looked steadily at her to observe the effect of his 
words. They were evidently more welcome than he had 
hoped, and he felt annoyed. ‘ So she really wanted him 
to withdraw,’ was his reflection. Very well, then, 
since he could not induce a chase by a feigned retreat, 
he would return again to the direct attack. He resumed 
his chair. 

“ From a remark yon made a moment ago, Mrs. Leigh, 
I judged you thought you had seen that ring before. 
Was I right?” 

She was about to rise to bid him good night, and felt 
a slight relief at the thought of his departure. But 
now her faintness returned, and it was with consider- 
able difficulty that she said : 

“ If so, it was merely a fancy,— I presume there are 
many rings alike — 

“But,” pursued he, “there is not another in the 
world like this. It is an amulet : but indeed you may 
have seen it before. Suppose 1 say tluit I am sure you 
have? Suppose further, that I should tell you the 
time and place ? ” He drew near her : the ring flashed 
in her face. 

“Look at it again!” 

“ Please pardon me. Mr. Smiles,” she said imploringly. 
“ if I ask you to leave me. I have been ill and harassed 
for some time, and am even worse than usual to-night. 
I beg you, therefore, leave me. and if mv obstinacy of- 
fends you, you may let the ring remain here, and when 


126 


HAGAH. 


my husband returns I will ask him if I may accept it.-’ 

Smiles replaced the ring in its case, and slipped ittinto 
his pocket. Mrs. Leigh was not aware he had done so, 
but was surprised that he did not heed her request to 
withdi’aw. 

“Am I in any wise the unhappy cause of your indis- 
position, my dear madame ? Or can I be of any service 
to you?’^ He leaned forward and grasped her hand 
passionately. But his touch had the effect of awaken- 
ing her to an ecstacy of rage and ferocity. She sprang 
to her feet and demanded in a subdued but threatening 
voice : 

“ Well sir, what is the meaning of this ? You, a min- 
ister of the gospel, and not know how to treat a woman ? 
Begone, sir!’^ 

“ Be calm, my dear madam, please be calm. I was 

merely going to wish you good night But that was 

a splendid Hash of passion, Josephine — it was indeed ! 
Ha ! ha ! ha ! You might have been a second Kachel, if 
you had only taken to the stage instead of to — er — ^mar- 
riage.’’ As he uttered these phrases in a tone of taunt- 
ing raillery, he took a few steps backward to reach the 
key in the I'ront door which he turned. 

“You take offense too soon, my dear Josephine ; you 
do, upon my soul. Why, if all your sex took fire in this 
way the world would not be fit for any man of spirit to 
live in ! But I was going to tell you of the ring. Do 
you recall a fine young priest whose crown was not two 
months shorn; a Maying party, and a very secluded 
glen near Yicksbufg, in 1854 ? * It was when the birds 
wei*e mating; you were not such marble then, by the 
confession that gay young neophyte made to me. Oh ! 
the magic ring ; can it have lost it’s charm ? ” 

As he spoke, Josephine moved to the further side of 
the room where her work basket lay. She kept her 
eyes fastened on him, and felt in the basket until she 
found a small embroidery stilletto the only weapon she 
had. 

Smiles never forgot how terribly beautiful she looked 
as she stood there at bay. 

Moving towards her, he said, “ I really thought you 
knew me, Josephine ! ” 

“ How dai'e you use my name sir I Begone at once, or 
I will cry for help 


HAGAR. 


127 


“ No, Josephine, not yet, ma chere, you might be sorry 
for it. 

He regarded her steadily : she felt some mesmeric 
iiiduence projected by this glance which paralyzed her 
] ower of resistance. 

“No wonder you do not know me. I was a lean, mi- 
ripe stripling then, not the finished Inan of the world 
you see me now. Have I not improved ? ” 

Josephine fiinched i)erceptibly at these words, and 
thought of one whose memory she had cursed in her 
iieart for nearly seven years. 

“Silence!’^ she cried, “I know you now. (Jeorge 
Lamont, the villain for whom — ” she hesitated as if 
choked by ])assion. He caught up her words — 

“For whom you crossed the Rubicon, Josephine. 
The same : as always, at your service. 

She fixed her eyes on him and came towards him, the 
keen steel gleaming in her hand. He watched her like 
a lynx : sprang forward and seized her with his strong 
grip, and she dropped the weapon on the fioor. He 
kicked it aside, and forcing her into a chair, said : 

“Now Josejihine, you will listen to reason. You are 
in my power : I can ruin you coinjiletely, or I can render 
you the envy of your sex. You want to talk, of course ; 
but don’t say a word until I finish. It is ten minutes 
past nine. I can only allow you half an hour to arrive 
at a decision.” 

“You threaten in vain,” she said with strange com- 
])osure. In half an hour my companion, Miss Wilson 
will return ; until then, I defy you.” 

“Very well,” he replied, with a suggestive smile. 
“ Now suppose you listen to me as patiently as I have 
Iieard you ? Don’t go on railing, for I also can do that 
if occasion demands. Mind, you have threatened to 
murder me here to-night. And yet I knoAV you love 
me ! ” 

“ Coward ! ” 

, “ Hark ! I have here in my pocket the note you wrote 
me appointing the tryst which, for me, proved such a 
fatality. There, there, don’t say a word : I was an in- 
nocent lamb just entering my novitiate in grace, when 
you came upon the scene and ruined me.” 

“ Have done, George Lamont, your effrontery is more 


128 


HAGAR. 


than I can bear!,” She moved towards the door. He 
stepped back, and taking the key from the lock, held it 
up before her. 

“ This note,” he then said, leisurely, bears no date, is 
as fresh in appearance as if written to-day, (1 have kept 
it carefully) and I know your writing has not altered 
much. It begins with ” my darling ” simply, and ends 
with ‘‘Josephine” precisely as 1 have seen it signed 
to notes you have written liagar.” She made a second 
move to pass him, with the terror of a hunted creature 
in her eyes. 

He grasped her wrist fiercely and swinging her 
around forced her again into her chair. Then, his lips 
close to her ear, he continued in a shrill whisper ; — 

“ You know that your husband, Philip Leigh, the ren- 
egade, hates you.” She started as if she had been stab- 
bed. “ You know it, I say. But he more than hates you, 
he suspects, distrusts you, thinks you a wanton. 1 
heard him say as much to Mark Kilbourne one night at 
Chestnut Grove.” 

Josephine’s head sank. She was crushed by shame 
«nd terror. Like a tortured child she at last burst into 
tears. Suddenly her tears were checked as were his 
words. They heard a sound of laughter at the gate. 

She rose, inspired with new force. “ Now, sir, be- 
gone before I deliver you into the hands of those who 
— ” her voice faltered, and she staggered to the table. 

“ One word and you are lost ! ” the same hissing whis- 
per came to her. 

“ I am here at your ai^pointinent. You understand ? 
Your friends will know your hand- writing ; I will read 
your note to them and let them decide which of us is in 
the TVTX)ng. But listen — they have seen the carriage at 
the gate, and passed on guessing rightly that you — have 
— company.” 

Josephine looked about her hel])lessly, not realizing 
what he said, and still expecting help to come. The 
strain had been too great and she fell back, fainting. 
Disregarding her, he held his ear to the keyhole to 
satisfy himself that all was quiet outside. Dan’s report 
had proved satisfactory, and Miss Wilson had continued 
to her own home. He then approached the prostrate 
form of his victim and raised her gently to the sofa 


HAGAR. 


129 


where he bathed her temples, and moistened her lips 
with water. She still remained unconscious and he 
went into the dining-room to look for brandy ; but find- 
ing notliing stronger than a decanter of sweet wine, he 
brought a glass of that and applied it to her lips. 

When she finally opened her eyes she saw the parson 
seated near her with an expression on his calm face 
svhich said as plainly as words : “ I conquer.” All that 
had been passing was perfectly clear to her ; she was 
not sui’prised to see Lament there, but lay gazing calmly 
at him, half in wonder, half in entreaty. 

“Drink this glass of wine, Joseifiiine, it will revive 
you,” urged Lament, tenderly. 

“ Did not Miss Wilson come in ? I heard her voice.” 
He answered by pressing the glass towards her, but she 
declined to drink. 

“ No, she has gone home, and no one else will come 
here to night.” 

“ But you are still here, George Lament. Why is this ? 
M"hat is your motive ? ” 

“ To tell you my love, and ask you to fly with me from 
this place forever.” 

She had lain still on the sofa, but now she sat up and 
looked at him perplexedly. 

“ Fly with you ? Fly with you 4 she repeated witli 
an expression of surprise and contempt, “you are a 
madman ; I do not understand you.” j 

“ You shall, then, in a moment. You told me that I 
was the first and only man you ever loved,” said he, 
as if beginning a narrative. 

“ And how you rewarded me for my confession !” she 
spoke with deep emotion, and in shame covered her 
face with her hands. 

“Admit that we were both wrong then, Josephine: 
we can now repair that wrong — I to you, and you to me.” 

“ Blot out one sin by committing a gi*eater ? No, your 
sophistries cannot deceive me now ! You speak of 
wrong: 1 never wronged you.” 

“We shall come to that. You remember the pro- 
fession I had chosen ? I am going to exei-cise it now for 
the first time : I am going to preach.” 

“Oh! for pity’s sake spare me! Remember my 
fathers friendship to you ; your respect for your own 
sisters 


130 


HAGAE. 


^‘Gone, Josephine, gone witli my loss of you . Your 
frailty was like a red-hot brand drawn across my life, 
blasting it through and through ! I rarely speak my 
heart ; but I speak it now, and you understand me I 
Your father befriended me and was my friend, until he 
proved my deadliest enemy in that he had not grounded 
his daughter’s character in virtue impregnable. I then 
possessed the truest qualification for the career I had 
chosen : Virtue I and you say you never wronged me. 
though you robbed me of that ! Ah I yes, that conceit 
surprises you, as it would most women ; but still it is 
true. I had not the art to tempt you then, but you 
had the wantoness to lure ine on to ruin, and your fall 
not only killed the immortal part of me when first I 
broke my awful vows, but it robbed me of you, of my 
hopes, my ambition, my friends ! From that moment 
you, the beautiful, the accomplished, the favorite of 
men and women alike, became an outcast in my sight. 
1 despised you ! I know you would say you yielded 
because of your love and trust m me, for them you 
should have resisted until death ! The lover loathes 
the woman who yields to his unrighteous lust as the 
husband the wife who yields herself to a paramour’s 
embrace. So it was with me : what I Had pursued so 
ardently, in one moment turned to ashes in my hand. 
I fied from my home; abandoned my fortune and my 
] prospects; sought only for excitement and diversion. 
Everywhere I found women who were as compliant as 
I had proved you ’’ 

Oh ! mercy, mercy — you are killing me ! She fell 
on her face before him. 

^^My fate since that day has been unmerciful. And 
yet you will (not confess the wrong and seek its 
remedy. You are unhappy, so am I. Our union can 
repair all and our loss will prove a riddance to those 
we leave behind.” 

My brain is so weary. ... I cun not think, ” she sayi, 
raising herself with feeble effort to her feet. Wait until 
to-morrow, — you could come in the afternoon — and if 
I have wronged you as you say you shall have my life 
to pay for it I have thought that you betrayed and de- 
serted me with callous cruelty ; but if I am wrong, and 
the wicked wretch you make me out, I am not fit to live. 


HAGAR 


131 


If jou bring poison with you 1 will take it and so exio- 
ate my crimes.” 

She seated herself by the table, and laid her bowed 
head on her arms. The picture he had made was etched 
upon her heart : in it wronged and wronger had changed 
places. 

The fire had died out in the grate, the room grew cold, 
lier tears had ceased to flow ; tier shoulders w^ere drawn 
up by the chill that had seized upon her. Her eyes, whicli 
she had turned away from Lamont, were fixed in a dull 
stare. 

“You will never see Philip Leigh again,” said 
Lamont with emphasis. “He is a marked man, and 
will be killed by the Confederate sliarp shooters in the 
first fight he enters, no matter what his disguise or norn 
de guerre. ” He paused to note the effect of his words, 
but she neither moved nor spoke. “ I love you,” he 
continued, resting a gentle hand on her wrist. I can 
save you from 3 'our despair and loneliness. All else — 
this folly about the foundling daughter of old Taine, is 
a delusion, a farce — You are the only woman I love. 
You shall go with me, away from the bleak frigidity 
of this clime and people. We will go abroad — any- 
where you will — until the war is over ; and then we can 
come home, defying the world to live but for each other.” 

He dropped on one knee beside her, and taking her icy 
hand in his warm gi'asp, pressed it passionately to his 
lips. He thought surrender imminent from the cessa- 
tion of resistance. 

“ Yes, yes,” she muttered faintly, leaning towards him, 
and pressing his hand in her frozen clasp — “ that will do 
very well — it will become me.” 

Her face being still turned towards the wall, he had not 
been aware of the agony it portrayed, and mistook a 
quiescence which was the result of failing conscious- 
ness for capitulation. Her next words, which were 
even fainter and spoken through a painful sobbing, 
brought him to his feet : 

“It will look well in my coffin: red and gold. It 
sounds very pretty — very pretty.” 

She was sinking rapidly, and would have fallen head- 
long upon the floor if he had not su]) ported her. 

“Good God! what’s this?” he cried, “Josephine! 


132 


HAGAE 


Josephine!^’ Snatching the shade from the lamp he 
turned her face to the light, and was appalled at the 
fixed and deathlike stare. She’s dying!” he gasped, 
as he bore her to the sofa, and stood beside her medita- 
ting what was be^ to do. 

The calm and ready George Lament was astounded by 
the turn his experiment had taken, and at once conclu- 
ded that his best plan was to retire without delay. He 
did not wish that she should freeze to death, and, wrap- 
ping some rugs of fur about her, wrote on a leaf from 
ills note-book in a (’isguised hand : — 

Mrs. Leigh very ill — ^help at once. ” 

He felt her pulse and listened to the beating of her 
heart to make sure she was still living, turned the lamp 
low, and stole away. 

As he went he remembered his defeat by Philip Leigh 
in the game of chess the}^ had i>layed together. It 
was significant. As he left the room he picked up the 
stiletto and used it to fasten the leaf from his note-book 
to the gate-post. 


GHAPTER KIV. 


Don’t speak, Dan, ” said he in a whisper, as he ap: 
preached the carriage. Don’t say a word until we get 
out of the town. Ill make this right with you. ” 

Dan drew the rugs from the horses backs and drove 
away quietly towards home. The night was dark, so 
dark that it would have been difficult to keep the road 
but for the gleaming crust of snow which, reflecting the 
starlight, made the way clear. 

Lament was exceedingly preoccupied during the 
drive, and for the first time for several years expe- 
rienced that confusion and indecision of the will which 
is characteristic of feeble minded men, but had seldom 
troubled him. His deliberate intention had been, even 
from the period of his first visit to Chestnut Grove, to 
marry Hagar under the name which had served him as 
a mask for two years ; live with her as long as conven- 
ience and inclination would permit, as had been his cus- 
tom with former victims, and abandon her to her fate 
whenever it should suit his whim ; and, in the mean- 
while, obtain as much money as he could from Ml’s. 
Taine. While reflecting upon the subject as he went 
along that night he felt half inclined to forego this ad- 
venture, the anticipation of which had been so pleasant 
to his palate. 

There seemed to be a warning and a menace in his 
night’s experience at ^frs. Leigh’s. There was no mo- 
ment during his strange career when he had felt so 
fierce a struggle between conscience and inclination. 
l»ut instead of ‘‘oi’ming then a settled resolution in favor 
of the right, he left the future, as he had the past, to 
chance. 

On referring to his watch he found that it was but a 
few minutes before two o’clock, and he was made aware 
by familiar objects along the road that they were near- 
ing Chestnut Grove. While one impulse pushed him 
on to the consummation of his present scheme, another, 


134 


HAGAR. 


no less urgent, was prompting him to be gone from 
there at once. 

iler g.iaidiaii angel standing at the gate to drive me 
back ! ” was his retlection as this feeling rebuked him 
like an invisible hand. ^^Well, let me see, he went 
nil, his conseieme still debating with his passion. 
“ She refused to elope with me, and it was partly in re- 
veuge for that, and partly to oblige “my dear Mrs. 
Taine, ” that I decided to marry her. Now, if she still 
has sense enough not to elo^ e I’ll spare her. No one 
could be more considerate than that ! Let me see, the 
Buffalo train asses through Cleveland at four o’clock, 
stopping fifteen minutes. Plenty of time, she may 
go with me if she likes. I will leave it to her. Other- 
wise I will go alone and let Dan tell her when the hour 
for our marriage arrives to-day, that I am a married 
man, who, in spite of her charms, has decided to return 
to his wife. Ha ! ha ! Egad ! here we are. Now if her 
guardian angel don’t stop me at the gate he certainly 
ought to prevent her from quitting her chamber at this 
hour on such a cold morning. ” 

The carriage stopped, and Dan jumped down to open 
the gate. 

“Wait a moment, Daniel, said Lamont, alighting 
from the carriage. “Are you cold?” 

“No sail, on’y radder chilly ’bout the toes,” replied 
the darkey, who had been well bundled up in one of the 
horse-blankets. 

“ Never felt such air as this in the cotton country, 
eh, Daniel? Well, never mind, heie’s another little 
warmer for you. ’You shall have more later on. And 
now listen to me. I don’t want you to unhitch your 
horses yet. You can drive inside and tie them, put on 
their blankets, and fetch them a good feed of oats. 
I’ll see that you get something to eat. Only keep per- 
fectly quiet, ask no questions, and obey me as your 
mistress ordered. ” 

Dan, cold and sleepy, was surprised at Lament’s or- 
ders. He began to mumble something by way of pro- 
test. 

“ No back talk, nigger ! ” said Lamont, angi-ily,' “ or I’ll 
have you sent home, where you belong, to work under the 
lash on Southern fortifications. Your owner, old Cap- 


HAGAR. 


135 


tain Leigh, is a general now, and will be glad to see you 
back.” The boy’s fears were fully aroused by these 
threats, and he was all compl lance in a moment. 

“ I do jes ez you sez, Massa Smile — ^jes ez you sez — 
ebb’ry ting.” 

Very well, then, see that you do, and before daylight 
this shall be yours.” As he spoke he held out his gloved 
liand before the negro, whose bright eyes saw a gold 
coin shining in his palm. 

Lamont left Dan to execute his order, and repaiired to 
the house. As he expected, he found Mrs. Taine await- 
ing him in the cosy sitting-room ; and, as he did not ex- 
pect, Hagar there with her, aroused by hib arrival from 
a restless naj) on the sofa. 

Well ! ” exclaimed Mrs. Taine, throwing up her hands, 
“ for heaven’s sake, what has happened ? ” 

She embraced him wlith her usual enthusiasm, and 
began to unbutton his overcoat ; but Lamont drew back, 
saying coldly, that he had scarcely a moment to remain. 
In short, he said, he had received bad news, and must be 
off at once. He kissed Hagar, who seemed worried and 
excited, and then said impresslively : 

“ Yes, it is a great blow, my dear madame, and I feel 
that I ought not to rei)eat what has happened, to any- 
body but yourself.” 

To have anything mysterious confided to her was, 
[)erhai)s, Mrs. Taine’s keenest pleasure. 

‘‘ Go, Hagar, child— go to your room, if it’s not proper 
for you to hear.” 

he off at once, Benjamin ? ” said Hagar, in a tone of 
supplication, and clinging to him fondly. “ Why, where 
can you go at this hour? What has happened? 
Have you Corgotten that this is our— r” She hesitated, 
and hung her head. 

‘‘ Our wedding day ; I know, dearest Hagar, that it was 
to have been so, but it is impossible ; I cannot delay one 
lioiir. Indeed, I have no right to be hei'e now wasting 
the seconds it takes to say these words, and my coming 
to bid you farewell Avas only made possible by the fact 
that tliere is no train until four o’clock. Everything 
df! ends on my reaching Cincinnati at the earliest mo- 

rnent.” _ . . j 

•And when will you return?” Hagar inquired, anx- 
iously. 


130 


HAGAE. 


“ I may not be able to get away while the \\ar contin- 
ues. My labors will be among the wounded, and will 
require m^^ constant attention.’’ 

Hagar looked desolate, and poor Mrs. Taine was com- 
pletely east down. Her disappointment was a cruel 
blow. 

“But,” exclaimed Lament, cheerfully, “you must 
‘ speed the parting guest.’ I have but a quarter of an 
hour to remain with you, so while the horses are being 
fed, and Dan gets a bite, suppose” — 

“ Yes, suppose we have some supper ? I would give 
anj^thing I possess in this world to have you remain to 
carry out the little programme we arranged; but, of 
course, everything must give way to calls of duty, es- 
pecdally in time of war. Well, well ! I’ll go and see if 
there’s not something ready in the kitchen.” 

“I knowy dearest Hagar,” said Lament, after the old 
lady went out, “that you think it a cruel hardship to 
have me leave you at this time and in this way ; but I 
have no choice, and we must comfort ourselves by re- 
flecting that in the end it may prove to be for the best.” 

But you will often write me ? ” 

“ Oh, yes. Ver}^ often.” 

“ And after you are settled there, could I not join you ? 
I shall be so lonely here when you are gone I And I 
am sure in the sad work you are going to do, you will 
need my help — ought to be with you thea^e. ” 

“ No, Hagar, you could not make the long journey b}* 
yourself, and I shall be moving constantly from place to 
l)lace ; you must be patiient, and await my return.” 

“ But can you not delay just till to-morrow, or even 
until this evening ? Think how all has been arranged, 
nud what a disappointment it will be to Father Taine. 
Think too what the gossips will have to say about you — 
about me — about us all. Must you go at once ? ” 

“ Indeed I must, Hagar, no matter what the sacrifice 
to myself or to those most dear. But there is still one 
way left by which we may forestall fate, and prevent 
the delay of our union.” 

“ There is ? Then why did you say we must part ? 

“Because the hazard is too much for you. It would 
necessitate your leaving with me, now, in a few min- 
utes.” 


HAGAE. 


137 


I am ready ! ” she answered. 

He pressed her tenderly to his breast, and said in a 
low voice ; 

Do not decide too rashly — think of the night, the 
bitter cold, my poverty — 

“ But you will be ^viith me. I cannot bear the thought 
of parting from you now, for I should be afraid it wa - 
lorever.” 

“ Well then, if you are decided, you have not a mo- 
ment to lose.’’ 

“ I am determined that you shall not leave me idly 
here. I must go with you ! ” 

“ Make haste then — and see : you shall wear this for 
my sake.” He placed a heavy gold ring on her wedding 
linger. “Now hurry to your room and pack a satchel 
with the articles most necessary to your present com- 
fort. Ihit on your warmest wraps, and be quick and si- 
lent ; ^Irs. Taine might object if she knew your sudden 
] uiq.ose. As soon as y u are ready go out the back door, 
enter the carriage waiting at the gate, and send Dan for 
your satchel, wliich jou can leave at the door. When 
he has brought it and you are all i-eady send him here 
to tell me the horses have done eating. Then I will 
join you. Quick now, child, or Mrs. Taine will be back.” 

Several minutes elapsed before Mrs. Taine returned, 
and in the interval Lauiont’s brain was busy. He 
paced the floor restlessly, w^nle flitting thoughts danced 
and circled in his mind like di*y leaves in a whirl-wind. 

“ The guardian angel is off duty then,” he muttered. 
“Natural restrictions and conventionalities, luckily, 
save the mass of them; but few indeed are guarded by 
that angel with tlie flaming two-edged sword, Knowl- 
( dge. No wonder men regard them as lawful game, the 
best spectimens of which fall to the lot of the most valiant 
huntei*. The syllogism runs thus : AVomeu ace either 
beautiful fools or beautiful devils; men ai*e either vil- 
lains or brutes, but are always })ursuing the beautiful 
She. Ergo, villain catches fool, and brute, devil : thus 
monstrous vices are perpetuated. Some day Til Avrite 
a book about it, to show how they court destruction, and 
how they only get their deserts. The more I see the 
stronger becomes mj^ conviction that the readiness of 
woman to seize the serpent’s lure has cursed this mortal 


138 


HAGAR. 


race. That story of Eden is probably much nearer the 
truth than many of my Christian friends suppose, 
i’erhaps she may falter yet. If she can think one 
thought, she is safe : the madness of Hying thus at dead 
()[■ night with a stranger, a man of whom she can know 
nothing. But folly binds her ; she will come. Nothing 
ever balked me like last night’s scene with Josephine, 
i wonder >.iou it wa, / It seemed like death; — iiom 
tear or desire ? Both are said to kill sometimes. Per- 
hai)s she feared violence and took some drug. Could 
1 know that she possessed the soul of Luci-ece, I’d turn 
anchorite and she should be my saint. God I how beau- 
tif ul she was ! ” 

He heard Mrs. Taine knocking on the door with her 
foot, and calling “ Let me in I '’ He admitted her and 
relieved her of a laden tray bearing cold meat, and 
chicken, a beefsteak pie steaming hot, and a hot mince 
pie that exhaled an odor of si)ice and brandy. 

“I must go back for the drinkables,” said Mrs. Taine. 
“ Where is Hagar ? ” 

She has just gone up stairs.” 

“Poor girl! I quite imagine how she feels, and j 
sympathize with her fully.” She went back to the 
kitchen returning in a moment with a small tray 
containing the simmei ing tea-]!ot and a jug of chocolate. 

“ I must call Hagar ; she’ll need something after be- 
ing up all night,” I’emarked the old lady after she had 
served her eiiest. 

“Please do not disturb the poor child, my dear Mrs. 
Taine,” pleaded he, “ She is very sad, and I Wve ex- 
cused her. However, if you permit me, I will take hei- 
a cup of chocolate and anything else you think she might 
like.” 

Mrs. Taine prepared a plate, and the gallant bore it 
up the stairs as noiselessly as a practiced valet. Ht* 
tapped gently at Hagar’s door. She onened it slightly to 
see who was there, then let it swing half way open, and 
took the plate and cup from him with whispered thanks. 
A sweet girlish smile played about her lips as she said : 

“ I am nearly ready. ” 

A small valise lay on the bed packed ready to close, 
and beside it her cloak and shawl. She had on her fur 
lined overshoes, and was tieing a warm hood when he 


HAGAI^. 


180 


entered . He paused long enough to give her an en- 
coiiraging smile, and to throw her a kiss from his finger 
tips. Whispering : “ Now is your time to leave the 
house, ’’ he descen(;ed as quietly as he had come. 

“ Poor child ! he said, sympathetically, as he reenter- 
ed the sitting room, “ it is too bad that this should have 
happened to disturb her. I think she is retiring, and 
I trust, ( ear Mrs. Taine for my sake, you will not have 
her called until she is thoroughly rested. 

‘‘ She shall have the entire day undisturbed, I will 
see to that. I don’t intend to do much myself except 
rest to-day, for my nerves are completely unstrung.” 

While Mrs. Taine talke l on with her usual animation, 
Mr. Lament ate heartily, and interlarded her remarks 
with many comments, not more indicative of his knowl- 
edge of her weaknesses, than grateful to her pride and 
vanity. Presently, after having mapped out an expe- 
dition for herself and Hagar to Cincinnati, which was 
10 end in a brilliant wedding, she drifted around to a 
topic which Mr. Lamont was glad to find her approach- 
ing. 

Cash was a conunodity which he rarely lacked : at the 
same time he had never found himself in possession 
of more than he could spend. His wants always increas- 
ed in proportion to his funds, and on that one point he 
considered himself a wise man. She broached the 
subject with extreme delicacy, hoping he would not 
take it amiss if she insisted upon his accepting the three 
thousand dollars in cash which she held at his disposal, 
to use for himself, or for the good work in which he 
was engaged. 

You must promise me, my dear Benjamin, that you 
will call on me at an}^ time for whatever ready money 
you need. I have only saved because I had no good 
object to spend for, and now my means are wholly at 
your disposal.” 

To her own mind it was merely bread cast on the 
waters, a subsidy for favors to come. Lamont, after 
many protests, and lavish expressions of gratitude, 
accepted the money, which was in the form of U. S. 
gTeenbacks, and having placed it carelessly in his 
velvet, rose from the table, and imprinted a most filial 
kiss on the old lady’s forehead. 


140 


HAGAE. 


^‘But this is not all/’ she continued earnestly, 
have been to Mr. Baldwin, my lawyer, and had him 
make out my will, by which 1 leave the bulk of my prop- 
erty to you and your heirs forever.” 

In the midst of one of Lamont’s most gracious and 
promising speeches, there was a knock at the door 
leading to the verandah. Mrs. Taine opened the door, 
and saw by the whites of two large eyes that Dan 
was the intruder. She called him inside and shut the 
door. 

All ready, Dan ? ” enquired Lament. 

‘^Yes, sah, de hoss’es done finish dere oats, sah.” 

“ Then we must be off. Here Daniel, swallow this cup 
of chocolate, and you can 'eat the lunch your mistress 
has put up for you as we go along.” 

Y’onder, doubt, and fear had done their worst for 
poor Dan, and he now gave Lament the impression of 
a being with no more brain or humanity than a baboon. 
He was so dazed by the night’s events that he gulped 
down the scalding chocolate without seeming to mind 
it, and glared about the room with a wild and startled 
look, until bidden to i*eturn to the carriage. 

Mr. Lamont took a hurried but affectionate leave of 
Mrs. Taine, and a few minutes later he and Hagar were 
being driven at a rapid pace towards Cleveland. 


CHAPTER XV. 


A few days after Hagar’s flight Dr. Taine died sud- 
denly in his study at the Tabernacle from heart disease. 
He had been overcome with grief when the news first 
reached him that she was gone, but as the truth became 
more clear and he realized that in spite of his apprehen- 
sions he iuid permitted her to fall a victim to a scoundrel, 
the wound sank deeper, and reached a fatal spot when he 
learned that her betrayer was a rebel spy and had taken 
her to Canada. Mrs. Taine clung to her faith in her 

dear Benjamin up to this crisis. Then she repented 
her error in sac k( loth and ashes, had the paper she had 
d rawn up in favor of ^ Smiles,’ destroyed, and made a 
deed conveying' the bulk of her property to James 
Taine if he survived the war. in case of his death it 
was to be devoted to the Union cause. 

The dismissal of the charge against Adam Joyce was 
a natural result of current events. Knowing that all 
the prosecuting witnesses were out of reach, Mr. Ami- 
cus Fish pompously moved a nonsuit, and the court 
sustained the motion. The bloodless victory thus 
gained by circumstances for this shyster of the legal 
slums brought him many another such client, and from 
that day both he and Joyce become powers in local poli- 
tics. The latter had long been distinguished as an effec- 
tive heeler” at the polls and now swore that Fish 
should go to Congress if he and the ^ boys ’ had to ^ clean 
out’ the district to put him there. The ^rise’ of Mr. 
Amicus Fish dated from this period, and was so rapid 
that, although he was still ignored by respectable mem- 
bers of the bar, he w^as soon very busy before the courts 
and made political capital by some of his achievetaients 
that promised to raise him to those golden advantages 
which so often fall to gentlemen of his stripe, under our 
glorious system of grog-shop politics. 

On a bleak and dreary night in February a few days 
after the dismissal of Joyce, Charles Spencer, the apos- 
tle of Mormonism, arrived at Cincinnati. He had 


U2 


HAGAR. 


left Cleveland about the end of December, and had come 
the entire distance through snow and mire on foot, 
preaching the ‘ new and everlasting covenant ’ at every 
town and village by the way in which he could obtain 
a hearing. 

Most people regarded him with curiosity or disgust 
and treated him with indifference; some thought him 
insane and pitied him. The fanatics of other sects, 
and the idle ruffians of country villages who were on 
the lookout for diversion, thought him an excellent 
target for ridicule and snow balls, and on a few occa- 
sions talked of amusing themselves by dressing him in 
tar and feathers. The very few persons who were fair 
tmough to observe him without undue prejudice, were 
convinced that he was an intelligent and earnest young 
jiian who had, unfortunately, gone clean astray from 
truth and common sense. He was doubtless sincere, 
they said, else whj^ did he tramp through the country 
at that inclement season to teach his doctrines, existing 
upon the charity of chance acquaintances to whom his 
missionary character was his only introduction. 

To him that wintry tour through Ohio had proved 
a great hardship, and the simple fact that he had accom- 
l)lislied it aigned well for the fervency of his faith and 
the strength of his resolution. In w inter time Ohio 
is a dismal land for a man without money, home or 
friends. Long stretches of prairie and wood-lands had 
to be traversed where there was no broken track to 
mark the road through the deep snow, and the towns 
were often so far apart that the distance from one to 
another could not be covered between daylight and dark 
if the traveller faltered, or deviated from his path. On 
one occasion he went astray on a by-road in a heavy 
belt of timber just as night w^as coming on, and wms obli- 
ged to pass the night, hungry, Tveary and enfeebled a^ 
he was, there in the leafless forest wdiere all aroum' 
w'ore the aspect of death. 

Several times during his journey he had been nearlv 
famished, w^hen, failing to And a stranger who ^vould 
offer him shelter and food, he had crawled into a hayloft 
or a cow-shed with fodder for his bed and a handful 
of corn his only fare. But these exigencies neither 
surprised nor discouraged him, for he had assumed at 


HAGAE. 


143 


the commencement of his mendicant career, that he 
must face everything, even martyrdom itself, if need 
be, in defense of the great truths he was sent to teach. 
Therefore, through all his trials he hugged himself se- 
renely, di'awing vast comfort from the conviction that 
nevei* failed him, that he was a man apart, who was do- 
ing all this for the Gospel, the real and only divine 
religion, and for heaven's own great latter day prophet. 
He even succeeded in converting and baptizing a few 
persons in the course of his dreary pilgrimage and they 
subsequently sold their homes and moved to Zion in 
the mountains” in fulfillment of the behests of the new 
religion. 

And at last, weary and footsore, much emaciated 
by want, and liardened by ex])osure, he had arrived at 
tiie metropolis of southern Ohio where he proposed 
laboring during the remaifider of his mission. For 
the past month he had been without news or advice 
from either fruends or superiors, but hoped to find 
letters awaiting him at the post-ottice. Meanwhile, how- 
ever, he was penniless and had nothing of value on 
which a dollar or the fractional part of one could be 
raised. It was nearly nine o’clock and a pitchy dark- 
ness hung over the suburbs of the city through which 
he was making his way more dead than alive. His 
clothing had been wet through by a rainy sleet which 
poured down upon him some hours ])reviously, and the 
frosty night wind liad turned Ins jacket into ice and 
chilled him to the marrow. His boots, which were the 
worse for wear, were as hard as wood, and his panta- 
loons to a point above his knees were frozen to his legs ; 
the mud and sleet being matted upon them in icy cakes. 
He had not eaten what might be called a meal since the 
morning of the preceding day since when he had 
walked some thirty miles on a diet of crustss and a few 
ears of dried corn. 

In the hope of finding a hospitable door he had 
approached two or three houses during the afternoon ; 
but from each the men were evidently absent, and 
the women, taking alarm at his desperate appear- 
ance, shut the door in his face without waiting to 
hear his errand. Though these good people could not 
have had the slightest idea of his real calling, he resign- 


144 


•HAGAE. 


edly bore their treatment as another affront to his re- 
ligion, and stalked forward with grim determination 
sustained by the ho})e of meeting with better luck in 
the town. The slights which had nearly brought him 
to the last stage < f his endarance, he sneeringly 
designated in the mental colloquy that he kept up as he 
went along, as exanq les of ‘ Christian charity ’ It did 
not occur to him that the country was infested with de- 
!-eiiers and stragglers from both armies, and by spies, 
renegades and nondescripts of various kinds who had 
committed many depredations, and that he, good saint 
tliough he undoubtly was, greatly re embled one of 
these vagabonds, who was likely to cut a throat or a 
purse as occasion might demand. 

His situation was desperate. He knew nothing about 
the city in which he was wandering like a lost sheep, 
and yet it was essential that he should find shelter at 
once. All around him were the mansions of the rich, 
and he still had presence of mind enough to realize how 
fruitless would be an application for help at one of 
their doors. On the contrar^^, he knew that the place 
for a man in his condition to seek relief was in some 
squalid quarter where the people had nothing to lose 
and were, in consequence, not alTaid of doubtful looking 
intruders. He pressed on as well as he could, but his 
steps became slower and he was falling into a reverie : 
How quickly the rich man’s door is bolted against the 
angel in disguise on the pretext of shutting out a rob- 
ber-; but his punishment is that his pride of gold effect- 
ually prevents him from discerning an angel no matter 
in what guise it might appear. His musing was inter- 
rupted by a passer by jostling rudely against him. The 
Mormon turned and tried to ask the way to the river 
front, feeling instinctively that there among the sons 
of toil he would find at least a wai^ shelter and a crust 
of bread. But the man hurried on as if afraid of him. 
The next one he met did the same, and as he stood wait- 
ing at a corner with the wind whistling through his 
frozen garments, a strange indifference took possession 
of him; he walked on a few paces, looking up at the 
cheerful lights that gleamed through richly curtained 
bay-windows, and listening to strains of music or the 
notes of happy voices that spoke in melody of the 


nAGAE. 


145 


comforts and delights of home. He felt his blood 
grow warm under these cheering influences, and 
crouched nearer to the iron railings to catch the tones 
of a sweet voice that seemed familiar. 

Yes, it was the very song his little Mormon sweet- 
heart had sung for him the day he left “Zion;’^ and 
with this belief a dreamy sensation stole over him and he 
thought he was near her home on a balmy summer night. 
He could smell the fragrant locust blossoms, and see the 
pretty night-ha wks floating in the moonlight above the 
trees ! He sank down in the snow near the carriage 
steps wrapped in seraphic peace. He was freezing to 
death. 

He had lain there nearly a quarter of an hour, when a 
Brougham drew up at the same steps. The horses 
snorted and pranced restlessly, and refused to approach. 
A footman juipped down from beside the driver, and 
taking them by the bits with a gentle but firm “ whoa ! ” 
tried to lead them up to the landing. Still they plunged 
‘ind snorted as if afraid. One of the carriage windows 
was now lowered and a handsome woman looked out, 
calling to the coachman : 

“Are you blind, Tom? Don’t you see there’s a man 
lying by the steps ? The horses are frightened to death. 
Stop at the next steps and we will get out there.” 

The driver obeyed, and the two ladies alighted at a 
neighbor’s landing and hurried back to their own to see 
if they knew the man in the snow\ 

“ Strike a match, Tom,” said the one who had spokew 
from the carriage, “ and see if you know his face. M e 
must send word to the police, for the poor devil will 
freeze if he stays here.” 

The 3"oung negro did as directed and started back as 
if he had seen a ghost. 

“Oh! Lord, Missus Clare,” he exclaimed, springing 
to his feet, “ he’s done frozen stone dead already ! ” 

“ A man dead at my gate ! Is he white ? ” 

Yes ’urn — black an’ white — skin like chalk, ha’r an’ 
beard like tar.” 

The missionary w^as lying in the deep snow near the 
curbstone, and the women stood on the cleared walk sev- 
eral feet from Mm. 

What shall we do. Ida ? ” asked the same woman ot 


14G 


HAGAE. 


her companion who seemed to regard the circumstance 
with utter iiiditierence, and to be thinking only of get- 
ting inside the warm iiouse. 

*• VV^hy, let him alone of course,” she ansAvered. e 
don’t keep a coroner’s office or the city dead house, 
im nearly froze to death, myself; so come in. SSenn 
Tom to tell the i^olice if you like, but don’t Avorry you] 
seir about an unknown sot — he don’t belong to our set.' 

“ What does he look like, Tom ? ” insisted the othe. 
Avoman. 

“ Looks a poor man ’bout de clo’s — but ’bout de face h.* 
’pars to me like a gemman.” 

The woman plunged through the suoaa’ and stoo})ed 
over the prostrate form Avhile Tom struck matches ti» 
light up the features. 

‘‘ Why, Ida ! ” she exclaimed, “ he is positively hand- 
some — and a stranger too, Avho has come from a long 
tramp. Poor fellow I we must carry him inside. I ex- 
pect he is a deserter who has escaped from battle 
to meet this horrid fate.” With the matches still burn- 
ing, she turned his head to one side to see if there Avas 
any mark of foul play, and as she did so the frozen man 
sighed distinctly. Tom was frightened: the Avomaii 
Avas not. 

“ He’s not dead, and there’s no smell of liquor on his 
breath, so he can’t be drunk. There’s been foul play, 
that’s certain. Quick, Tom — run to the house and fetch 
Jerry to help you carry hlim in — and tell one of the girls 
to bring a brandy flask. Hurry or Ave’ll be too late ! ” 

Tom bounded away, and the Avoman knelt by the 
stranger and began chaflng his hands and temples. Ida 
grew impatient and would haA^e gone into the house 
only that she feared it would not be good policy. But 
she had not long to wait : The two stalwart young ne- 
gros raised the man to their shoulders as if he had been 
a sack of shavings, and bore him into the house. 

As this unexpected procession entered, several person 
crowded to the door. 

‘‘Oh! Dr. Cavin, I’m so glad you are here to-night: 
there will be a chance for you to try your skill at sav 
ing life,” cried M’me. Clare Adamant! in a tone of rail- 
lery, with an emphasis on the v( rb. 

“ If I succeed it will be my second case, at least, ” re- 


HAGAR. 


147 


jlied a small gi*ay bearded man with eye-glasses, for 
you must admit that I ouce saved the life of my dear 
Lady Clare.’’ 

“ Yes, Soppy my boy, that's so; and if you save this 
young fellow I’ll forgive you for it — there now !” 

“ I shall do my best, for your sake. Lady Clare, but if 
you have brought me a dead patient to exi)eriment upon, 
1 •shall send you the bill. ” 

Dr. Cavin hastened up to the room where Tpm aiul 
Jerry had carried the stranger, and shortly afterwa.d 
sent word to Lady Clare that he believed the man niig t 
be restored by careful treatment. 

The other persons flocked into the drawing room t(.» 
hear Lady Clare’s account of her Avindfall. 

‘‘ Who is he ? ” asked several voices in chorus. 

Likely a case of small-pox, ” said Ida, ill-humoredly, 
and in a voice so low that her sUiierior did not notice 
her. 

“ He is the son of a rich old Yankee, who, having 
grown weaiy of camp life at this time of year, was on 
his way home to his mother, (i)robably without leave) 
when he took an overdose of frost and laid him down 
to die at my gate. It is solely because I know him to 
be so rich a prize that I have taken him in. If Soppy 
brings him to — and he says its merely a case of suspen- 
d d animation induced by too much cold externally 
applied — why, Ave shall get at least ten thousand dollars 
for salvage ; don't you see ? Ha ! ha ! ha !” 

They all knew that she Avas mocking them, and contin- 
ued to make merry over the aflair until she jvheeled 
around abruptly and left the room. This conduct seem- 
ed to excite no surprise, for it had been understood 
for some time among the frequenters of Castle Ada- 
mant,” (as her house was called) that she was becoming 
more peculiar every day. 

I did n’t approve of Aunt Clare bringing the nui’i 
into the house,” said Ida. But all that about prize- 
money is sheer rubbish; she knows no more about the 
man than you do, but she is a very kind hearted AV'omau,. 
and that accounts for what she has done. I think it's 
foolish ; but the house is hers, you know.” 

Thanks to a sound constitution Spencer mended rai)- 
idly. The first two or three days he suffered intensely t 


148 


HAGAE. 


but thenceforward he was free from pain except what 
he experienced from his left foot, which was badly fro- 
zen. 

Each day Liuly Clare paid him a visit, and her orders 
were strict that he was to have every comfort and atten- 
tion which her house and servants could suj)ply. When 
the doctor said he was well enough to talk, she asked 
him if he wished to send word to any of his friends, 
or if there was anything he would like procured from 
outside. This was probably meant as a delicate hint 
that he would be none the worse for slight additions 
to his wardrobe; but he only replied that he would 
thank her to send to the post office for his mail. 

Jerry w^as immediately despatched with a note to 
the postmaster, and returned with quite a budget of 
letters and parcels, among the latter being two Wells, 
Fargo express packages containing money. Here was 
conclusive evidence that the young man had somebody 
who cared for him, and various members of the house- 
hold, including Ida, took considerably more stock in 
him after Jerry’s flourishing account of the big bundle 
of letters and money he had brought from the post oflice. 

Spencer was delighted to receive news from home, 
and good counsel and approval from the President of 
the mission. He w^as also pleased to get the cash ; 
though its amount was meagre enough, it seemed a 
small fortune to him. He found Jerry discreet, intel- 
ligent, and obliging, and entrusted him with a lai-ge 
l)art of his capital to invest in a suit of ready made 
clothes, and other apparel ; and when the boy i*eturned 
with his purchases, Spencer was obliged to admit that 
he had managed much better than he could have done 
himself. 

During his stay of nearly two weeks under her roof 
nothing transpired to give his hostess any real clue to 
his identity or his profession, and the only information 
he had gained concerning her was wffiat the negix) boys 
l.ad ( asually given out — ^t’ at sh3 was a wealthy Southern 
lady from New Orleans who had moved to Cincinnati 
on account of her health only a few months before the 
breaking out of the war. The postmark Chicago 
on his letters had been taken as indicating his place 
of residence; but the fact was that they received that 


HAGAB. 


141 > 


mark by being forwarded from the Mormon agency 
there. As he improved in health and began to think 
once more of launching forth in pursuit of candidates 
for the only true religion, a lively curiosity to know 
more about him was awakened in the breasts of certain 
members of the household. But he was resolved to 
keep his secret until the hour of his departure, when 
he would tell Madame Adamanti all that it was neces- 
sary for her to know. 

He had been introduced to Ida, Avho was presented 
as Miss Benner, m3" niece,’^ by his hostess, early in 
his convalescence; and more recently to Miss Alice 
Benner, Ida’s younger sister, Miss Belle Ross, a 
dear friend and school-fellow of the nieces, and several 
other .young ladies, as well as a number of rakish look- 
ing .young men who were regular visitors. He was at 
first puzzled and then astounded by the motle.y gather- 
ings he encountered there ; but he asked no questions 
and determined to get away as soon as possible. 

The graceful but ignorant Ida had been remarkably 
assiduous in her attentions to the Elder ever since the 
arrival of the money parcels, and one evening told him 
flatly that she had taken a decided fancy to him the very 
first time she saw him. His teeth were regular and 
good and his breath free from tobacco or othei* disagree- 
able taint — ^things which the coquette had carefully 
noted. He seemed merry too in this company ; shai*ed 
the card-table and the wine with cheerful cordiality, 
justl.y priding himself on his science as well as his ex- 
ceptional good luck at seven-up, euchre, and pok(*r, 
and halting at th? first glas^ of wine with ever on i tent 
firmness. He was truly the apostle of a “ new dispen- 
sation.” 

One evening shortly before his intended departure 
from “Castle Adamant” he was sitting alone in the 
snug little parlor adjoining his bedroom reading a 
Mormon paper and nursing his frozen foot, when he 
heard a gentle tap at the door. It was Ida. She partly 
opened the door and with affected shyness, said: 

“May I come in, Mr. Spencer?” By the time she 
had finished the words, she was standing beside him. 

“I knew you was alone,” she continued gayly, “so 
I t rd come and see if you would’nt like me to 

l)lay for you.” 


150 


HAGAE. 


It would have been awkward even for a saint to say no 
to such a proposition, and Spencer was too fond of music 
of any kind to miss a chance of hearing it. He there- 
fore assured her of his gratitude for her thoughtfulness, 
and promised to listen attentively as long as slu 
cared to play. But it was evident even to him that this 
arrangement did not meet her expectation. She seated 
herself at the piano, however, and dashed off a light 
operatic melody. The Elder lolled back in his easy chair 
and dreamily closed his eyes, as if to detract nothing 
by the exercise of the other senses from the divine 
sensation. Miss Benner continued to play, thoa- 
greatly exasperated by his insensibility. She said 
afterwards that she had never seen a man so nearly 
resembling a clam. The more ra])turous she endeav- 
ored to make the music the deeper seemed to grow his 
lethargy ; so she stopped short in the middle of one 
of her most ravishing selections, and exclaimed in a 
tone of disgust: 

“ Good lord, Mr. Spencer ! have you gone to sleep I 

The Elder was startled by this ex])losion, and pi o- 
tested most earnestly that he was listening with the 
greatest attention, and had onh^ closed his eyes to en- 
joy the music the more — to render the illusion more 
complete. His thoughts had been far away among the 
Rocky Mountains — ^but she had no idea what he meant. 
He waked up sufficiently to offer a well-turned com])li- 
ment on her performance, and asked her if she sang, 
adding that he heard a superb voice singing in that 
house on the night of his arrival at Cincinnati, and be- 
fore he fell unconscious at Madame ^Vdamanti’s gate. 

‘‘I sing?^’ cried Ida dubiously. “Well, not much, 
my voice might do for singing “ water-cresses ! But 
it could’n’t’a been me, anyhow, for I was at the theatre 
with Aunt Clare. And, do you know, it was a good 
thing for you it was a poor play that night ? — by a Yan- 
kee, of course, a Boston Yankee, so we left after the 
second act. And if we had’n’t, you’d ’a been under t^* - 
sod two whole weeks ago. What do you think of that ? 
You can ask Aunt Clare if it ain’t so.” 

This was Spencer’s first real tete-a-tete with Miss 
Benner, and the opinion he had formed from meeting 


HAGAE. 


151 


her casually in other company was not enhanced by her 
language and manner on this occasion. To tell the truth 
she was rather too much for his comprehension and 
he was beginning to study out a suitable plan for getting 
rid of her. But what was his surprise when she sud- 
denly came up to him, gave him a sharp slap on the 
shoulder, and demanded 3 

Who and what are you, anyhow ? 

The Elder did not wish to appear angry w ith the pretty 
little vixen, so he rejlied in a mild voice : 

I think I have already told you. Miss Benner, that I, 
and all my friends, are in sympathy with the South.” 

“ Oh, you kiiow^ very w^ell 1 donT mean that ! ” she 
replied, stamping her foot impatiently. “You have 
fooled us all, even to Aunt Clare, and I’ve made up my 
mind to find you out : I want to know wliat you do, and 
where you’re from.” 

“ Excuse me. Miss Benner. You will admit that I am 
not responsible for my presence in your aunt’s house ? " 

“Well, does that prevent you from being kind to a 
poor girl who is dying of curiosity,” she asked, catching 
a corner of her handkerchief in her teeth, and eying him 
pettishly. 

“I should be glad to oblige you. Miss Benner, but 1 
think I am not at liberty to state any further details 
about myself until I leave here (wTiich w ill be in a day or 
two), when I shall explain my case fully to your aunt.” 

“ Oh, do tell me, Mr. Spencer ; I won’t say a word to 
anybody,” she cried, and at the same moment threw her 
arms around his neck, and added in impressive tones — 
“ Won’t you trust me — won’t you trust Ida !” 

The astonished saint made a highly commendable el - 
fort to disengage himself from the tender embrace of 
the would-be enchantress, but the state of his frost-bit- 
ten foot would not admit of a vigorous physical dem- 
onstration, and she clung so tightly that he gave up the 
struggle, saying, quietly: 

“You are exceedingly friendly. Miss Benner, and I 
appreciate your kindness, but as I am already engaged 
I really must not permit myself—” 

He could say no more. Miss Benner, uttered two or 
three shrill yells and almost gave him lock-jaw by com- 
ing down in a heap on liis lap. The healing ol his poor 


152 


HAGAR. 


foot was indefinitely delayed by that young lady’s bad 
manners ; but at this moment he was relieved by the 
tiimely ai)i)earance of Dr. Esop Cavin and Miss Ross. 
“ What’s the matter, Ida dear ? demanded Miss Ross 
with well feigned anxiety. 

Miss Benner made no reply, but seemed to be sobbing 
and presseil her face against the Elder’s shoulder. Spen- 
cer, though greatly embarrassed, half suspected that this 
was a i)reconcerted trick, and begged them to take Miss 
Benner away as she was crushing his foot. The intru- 
ders laughed covertly at the mirth-]u*ovoking tableau, 
and Miss Ross drew Ida away, saying scornfully . 

“ Come, my dear, we will leave Dr. Cavin to deal with 
this young man. ’’ 

Si)eucer stammered something by way of protest, but 
the ladies withdrew, and the doctor was left to deal with 
him. ’ 

“ Well, Spencer, I’m waiting. What have you to say 
for yourself ? ” asked Dr. Cavin, sitting down with his 
hands in his pockets, his legs extended, and glancing 
curiously" at the Elder. 

“Nothing,” he replied, briefly. 

“ Oh ! oh ! Nothing, eh ? And you are soon to leave 
us, I understand ? ” 

“That is my intention, unless one of these young 
ladies crushes the lii e out of me before I get started. ” 

“ I should like to ask you in what light you view your 
conduct towards Miss Benner, comi)romising her as you 
have done ? ” 

“ Perhaps you would like to ask what I think of her 
conduct towards me, compromising me as she has 
done ! ” retorted the Mormon with a touch of his native 
vim. 

“ That’s very good indeed ! Excellent, ha ! ha ! ” said 
the Dr. with a dry, forced laugh. “T see you are a wag, 
Spencer a natural born ag, a fellow who wasn’t would 
never have put it that way. But it won’t do, you know, 
there are proprieties which — which we must all ob- 
serve — 

“ I would advise you to try vour lecturing powers on 
Miss Benner. I never met with a better subject for a 
professor of propriety to i)ractice uijon !” 

“ A touch of the old Adam in him too ! Still blaming 


HAGAB. 


15 :) 


the woman, observed the doctor wisely. But there’s 
not a bit of use of our getting out of teimper, not the 
least in the world. I’m your friend : I have saved your 
life, with the aid, of course, — the very efficient aid — of 
tlie ladies here, who have evinced towards you, the most 
extraoi'diiiary devotion. But, I may say, must say, 
in fact, that we are all considerably surprised, as- 
tcniiided, in short, at your conduct on the eve of youi’' 
departure. There must, of course, be some reason, 
best known to yourself, why you have been so careful 
to conceal all particulars about your calling and your 
family. Your education and intelligence denote that 
you are well-connected, and have enjoyed good social 
advantages. The extent of your mail, and the recep- 
tion by you of money parcels at various times, all point 
to the conclusion that your people are rich and high- 
toned, as well as very fond of yon. But further than 
this meagre outline, we are wholly in the dark, and we 
consider that this silence on your part is hardly a 
proper return to people who have been so jire-eminently 
your benefactors, and specially in view of — of the — 
the familiar attitude you have assumed towards a cer- 
tain member o f of the family. 

Spencer smiled and looked so interested that the doc- 
tor continued talking with renewed vigor until he had 
nearly exhausted his stock of cheap moral precepts. 

“ No,” said he, at last, there is nothing so essential 
for a young man as to avoid even the appearance of 
('quivocation in word or action.” He paused and began 
to fumble in his coat pockets. I certainly had that lit- 
tle account in one of my pockets ! Ah ! that’s it — there 
it is — my little bill for medical attendance to yourself,” 
paid he, holding the slip of paper towards the Mormon. 

you will observe that my charges are extremely mod- 
erate.” 

Spencer took the bill, and it almost took away his 
breath to perceive that it was for |50. 

The impecunious Elder had seen from the first that he 
v/as the subject of a good deal of speculation, and had 
been inwardly amused in contemplating the probable 
effect when he should make his confession. He now 
realized that he had not lost anything by postponing the 
denouement. He assured the doctor that the matter 


t54 


HAGAR. 


should have his attention, and the latter withdrew, say- 
ing he would come back to have a further conversation 
with his patient, after he had dressed for the theatre. 

Spencer was still suffering with his foot, but his iievv 
dilemma now filled the chief place in his thoughts. 
That bill for |50 fioored him altogether. The total 
sum he had received in the parcels that had produced 
so much comment, was exactly |G5, which had come in 
three separate instalments, and the first of which con- 
taining |20 had been mailed at Salt Lake in November, 
about three months before it reached him. Nobody but 
himself could realize the sacrifice and self-denial that 
had enabled his poor mother to send him even that 
small sum ! She had earned it by doing the washing 
of officers at Camp Douglas, and had stinted herself in 
every way that her boy might have it to help him to 
‘ spread the gospel.’ How keenly and vividly this fact 
occurred to him that night. And now more than two 
thirds of the treasure earned b^" her dear toil was de- 
manded by this quack — and for what ? 

He had never had an^^ experience with doctors nor 
seen one of their bills before. In ‘‘ Zion ” he was ac- 
customed to see a combination of faith, poultices, castor 
oil, and catnip-tea, as applie 1 gratis by some old woman, 
work miracles of healing ; or, when these f ailed, and 
the patient died of a simple malady for want of i>roper 
treatment, it was ‘ the will of the Lord, ’ and ‘‘ Zion ” 
])rospered as usual. 

He probabl 3 ^ coul 1 not fiill^^ realize the narrowness 
of his late escape from death, and he felt a vague sense 
of jealousy for the Lord that a doctor had stepped in 
to share with Him the honor of having restored His 
servant ! There was something out of joint with a 
doctor in the case, anyhow; but what was he to do 
about that |50 ? 

It was in truth a serious matter. The .young man ha ’ 
no means of his own to draw upon ; in those days the 
church allowed nothing to its missionaries, and his 
father was only a clerk in the tithing office at Salt 
Lake drawing a salary' of one thousand dollars a 3 ^ear 
in potatoes, carrots and other farm products, and hav- 
ing three wives and their numerous progeny to whose 
support he felt in dut^' bound to contribute. Never- 


llAfiAR. 


155 


tlieless, the Elder did not despair of coming out of his 
i.ifliciiltj without being badly damaged. ‘He had been 
“di*agged up” in a hard school, was accustomed to 
scaling obstacles, and above all he was at all times in- 
spired by a firm conviction that “ the Lord would see 
him through. ” * 


* Let not the reader suppose that any disrespect, either to the 
Deity or to the Mormon Eider, is intended by the apparently trivial 
use made above of a sacred name. Whatever the merit, or other- 
wise, of this peculiarity' of the Mormon character, it is a genuine 
characteristic. At the period of which I am writing, it was so com- 
mon a habit among them to talk in this way that it had ceased to 
be cant and became a household word. Boys of twelve or fourteen 
would talk about the number of fish the Lord would enable them 
to catch. The younger copied from the elder, and the Deity be- 
came to the average Saint— as has been the case among many other 
sects— a sort of superior kind of familiar spirit, who possessed 
great power either to help or harm, according to His caprice. As 
late as the period at which the Union Pacific Railroad was com- 
pleted— 1 869— there was a common belief among a large portion of 
the rising generation of Salt Lake City, which they had, of course, 
imbibed from their seniors, that Brigham Young would continue 
to preach and to lead the people until he attained the age of one 
hundred years, when the Lord would restore him to a young and 
vigorous manhood, and he would become, by the Lord’s direct help, 
ruler over the entire United States. It was an unwonted freak of 
modesty that caused them to stop short of the whole world. 


CHAPTER XVI. 


In the evening Dr. Ca\ in told the Elder that Lady 
Clare expected him to take a hand at euchre in the 
drawing room. Spencer at first declined, but on sec- 
ond thought decided to avail himself of a last oppor- 
tunity to observe the life and the characters at Castle 
Adamant. He had fully determined to make his adieux 
next day, to escape, if possible, the bill of Dr. Cavin, 
and the rudeness of Miss Benner. He rightl^^ believed 
that they had been playing him a trick to which his 
hostess was not a party. 

In the course of his stay Spencer had never seen the 
drawing room look so brilliant as it did on this occa- 
sion. The room was large and luxuriously furnished, 
and a hundred gas-jets tlung down their light from the 
great central chandelier of prismatic glass through 
crystal shades of many hues. The entrance was through 
a wide double door way at one side of the room, so that, 
upon entering, a full survey of the apartment was had 
by a glance to the right and left. At either end were 
marble fireplaces in which were open fires of pink 
fiamed anthracite, partiall}' concealed by embroidered 
screens of Chinese silk and Mexican feather- work. On 
the walls hung a few choice paintings which Madame 
Adamanti had bought in Paris some years previously", 
and a portrait of herself by Healy, which looked very 
little like her now, but had been a striking likeness ten 
years before, when she had not only been called the 
‘ handsomest woman in Xew Orleans,’ but had ranked, 
during her stay abroad, among the dashing beauties of 
the French Capital. Mirrors, flowers, rich artistic por- 
celains, and small groups of statuary, tastefully ar- 
ranged and displayed, completed the decoration of the 
room. But the brilliant ensemble was not a little en- 
hanced by the fashionably dressed occupants, who were 
few, but just numerous enough to give animation to the 
scene. Madame and Mi-\s B mner sat near a flower- 
decked table, busily occupied with their embroidery, and 


HAGAK. 


157 


near them stood two or three gallants, who seemed in a 
lively mood, but who took good care to betray no signs 
of impropriet}^ in Madame's jiresence, as she had issued 
a decree against it, and would admit no person to her 
house who did not respect her wishes. Alice and Miss 
Ross, with two other young women, all of whom wore 
su[)erb toilets, were amusing other visitors at the fur- 
ther end of the apartment, and Spencer paused on the 
threshold as his foot pressed the thick velvet carpet, 
deeply impressed with the strange, dazzling glamor of 
the scene. 

Lady Clare received him kindly, and noting that he 
drew back as if disinclined to enter, she went to him. 
saying in a tone friendly, but not loud enough to be 
heard by her companions : 

‘‘Come in my dear boy; you are as safe here as at 
home. You need not dread these dandies because the\ 
are well-dressed ; jniu are my guest, and I am old enough 
to disregard, and influential enough, right here, to make 
acceptable, the cut of your coat. So come and make 
yourself happy. We shall give them a lesson at Euchre 
after awhile. ” She made the first remark laughingly, 
and, taking him by the arm, drew him to a seat beside 
her table. 

Dr. Cavin looked at his watch, and finding that it was 
eight o’clock, excused himself with the remark tliat he 
must be off for the theatre at once. But Ida ran to him 
and detained him with a confidential discourse. The in- 
tolerable little prig looked sleek and spruce in his black 
dress suit, with dazzling linen protruding some four 
inches at his wrists and nearly two inches at his neck ; 
with his hatchet face shaven, the mustache and imperial 
(which were heavy enough for a man of three times 
his bulk) scrupulously dyed and waxed, and the costly 
eye-glasses which he rvore, not that they assisted his 
sight, but because he thought they made him look so 
wise, dangling at his lapnel. 

There was no introducing at Castle Adamant. Each 
visitor approached and spoke to whom he chose. Spen- 
cer, therefore, was soon drawn into conversation by 
some of the sports, who took him for a countryman and 
casual caller at the “Castle.” Lady Clare whispered 
to him that he must not enlighten them, as they would 


158 


HAGAR. 


shortly have an opi oi-t:inily to test his skill at the caKl 
table. There was nothing uow in which she took so 
much intei'est as framing, and her attachment to Spen- 
cer was on that account; for, while he would not gam- 
ble himself, he did not mind playing as iier partner, and 
she had never bel'ore had such exce}>tionally good luck 
at play. They were arranging for a game, and Dr. Cavin 
was hurrying away to the theatre, when Jerry came in 
with a card for Madame. 

“ Wait a bit. Soppy,” said she, beckoning to the doc- 
tor. As she went towards him with the card in her 
hand, he came back to meet her. He glanced at the 
card which bore, in lead pencil, the legend — " Kev. D. T. 
Smiles and wife,” and raised is eyebi ows knowingly. 

‘‘I must Avait, then, and see him. Confound the fel- 
low, I’ve lost all sorts of things on his account, and may 
lose my head yet.” 

Jerry was directed to show the visitors in, and Mad- 
ame waited at the door of the draAving-room to greet 
them. 

‘‘Don’t forget to call him ‘Smiles,’” said she, as the 
doctor left her and proceeded to lose his miniature body 
amongst the group far doAvn the room. 

A moment later Lament and Hagar were ushered in, 
and Lady Clare received them Avith cordiality. She was 
much struck with the perfect innocence and grace of 
her old friend’s latest victim, and (juite forgot the game 
she Avas about to play, in the neAV born, but intense in- 
terest Avhich the guileless young thing had instantly 
awakened. Her cold gray eyes surA^eyed the girl again 
and again. Yes, it was certain, as Lament had reported ; 
the girl was refined, well-bred, and pure-minded, a com- 
bination for which she had been seeking ever since she 
left New Orleans, but Avithout success. And was it now 
possible that this bold and unscrupulous man, whom she 
had always regarded as a A^ery devil incarnate (while 
she could not help admiring his skill and address), had 
]ilaced within her grasp a means of final escape from 
the life she loathed but could not flee ? 

“ It is true ! ” she muttered to herself, as she left Ha- 
.;ar’s side after a few moiuent’s conversation. “I shall 
escape now ! With her in my power and obedient to 
my will, I can face the world anyAvhere as a ueAV woman. 


flAGAR. 


151) 


Her innocence will shield me. Mj gold shall protect 
uud prosper her. It is well then ; for, at last, after liv- 
ing abroad, travelling, scouring the earth with her to 
convince her of my goodness and my bounty, I shall 
o.ing her back, restore her to her friends, and s() 
lueathe my last breath in untainted air beneath a re 
spectable roof.” 

Spencer had sauntered towards the farther side of 
the saloon, amusing himself with the works of art, and 
only caught a side-glance of the new arrivals, whom he 
<lid not recognize. They were quickly surrounded by 
members of the company who appeared to be acquainted 
^^■ith Lament, so that Lady Clare’s momentary agitation 
escaped notice. 

Hagar looked a little older, attired as she was in an 
ultra fashionable costume of brown silk. She met the 
friends of Charles Lamont with as much heartiness as 
they effected towards her. She told Lamont that she 
had never seen a house so nicely a^^pointed, or women 
so elegantly dressed ; and took him to task for not tell- 
ing her that his friends were so wealthy and aristo- 
cratic. Their familiarity with him somewhat surprised, 
but did not offend her ; and though she w^as at first em- 
barrassed by the close scrutiny of the women, she soon 
felt perfectly at ease, and conversed with an ingenuous- 
ness which was decidedly novel within those walls. 

^Xr. ^ Smiles’ was scarcely recognizable. His light 
liair and mustache had been dyed jet black before leav- 
ing Canada, and the beard he had grown since quitting 
Chestnut Grove, was of the same hue. His dress was 
that of a well-to-do business man in excellent taste. 
Me had thrown off his over-coat in the hall, so that his 
»'obust and symmetrical figure, which had always 
formed one of his chief attractions with women, was 
exhibited to the best advantage, as he had, no doubt, in- 
tended. But his disguise was so complete that none 
but a clever detective could have penetrated it, for be- 
sides the changes above alluded to, the peculiarly fair 
skin of his face, neck, and hands, had been given a dark 
tinge, and he had put on a pair of colored glasses when 
he entered the saloon. Mme. Adamanti had expected 
him, and had nut those who knew and were interested 
in screening him, on their guard. 


100 


HAGAR. 


Miss Boss, who had been watching her opportunity, 
soon succeeded in drawing Lament aside to ply him 
with questions about the stranger. In the earlier stages 
of her career at New Orleans she had been on very 
friendly terms with Lament, and now regarded herseli 
as privileged to say to him what he would have resented 
as impertinence from most women. He seemed to ad- 
mit her claim most readily, and to accord his full S3 m- 
pathy and attention to her coarse and impudent raillery. 

“ What is she, Charlie, a preacher’s daughter, or a 
banker’s pet ward ? Sa}^, what’s her name, and where 
did you get her ? — do tell me all about it,” she pleaded, 
leaning on his arm and leading him apart. 

“ I call her ^ Kitty, — she has no other name.” 

“ She’s very tony and stuck-up, I’m sure, and I wish 
you hadn’t brought her here. But go on ; tell me about 
her. Anybody can see she’s not out of the gutter, and 
I just want to know how you came b^" her.” She had by 
this time cornered him on a soft divan in a window re- 
cess, where he amused her with a romantic little stoiy in- 
vented for the occasion. 

Meanwhile the attention of Madame Adamanti was 
engrossed with Hagar, whose sweet and gentle mannei- 
charmed her as nothing had ever done before. And 
when Lament rejoined the group, with the remark that 
they had only dropped in for a moment on their way 
to the theatre, and must be going at once, ^Madame took 
occasion to say that she hoped to have the pleasure of. 
a more intimate acquaintance with his young wife. 

Their movement had attracted the attention of Miss 
Boss, and those with her ; and they came forward with 
their glasses in hand. A general laugh followed and as 
Lament turned to make some gallant remark to Miss 
Boss, his eyes met those of the Mormon Elder, who was 
standing beside her. Though considerably changed by 
the growth of hair on his face, Spencer was recognized 
instantly; but he Avas Tiot A^et aAvare of Hagar’s pres- 
ence, and, therefore, did not imagine that he Avas so 
near his old friend, the “ Bev. Mr. Smiles.” 

For reasons he could hardlj" have explained Lamont 
Avas somewhat startled bv the Mormon’s proximity, and 
as he made his Ava.y back to where Hagar stood talking 
to Lady Clare, though he seemed as TTvelv and buoj^ajit as 
ever, he w^as muttering savagely to himself ; — 


HAGAR. 


161 

“What devil's message has brought that Mormon 
here ! ’’ 

When he came near enough to touch Hagar’s elbow, 
he said : 

“ Come, Kitty, we must really be off. Lady Clare 
will excuse us, I am sure.” Then having drawn her a 
little aside, he continued in a subdued voice : 

“I see that the Mormon, Spencer, is here. If he 
should recognize you, you must ignore him. We will 
go at the earliest moment.” 

Hagar had already begun to feel uncomfortable. 
She knew instinctively that there was something un- 
wholesome in this place, and about the people she met 
here ; and now the peremptory anxiety of her husband 
made her tremble. She had not failed to note, also, the 
strange hilarity of Lamont, and though she endeavored 
to ascribe, what she could scarcely regard as less than 
impropriety, to his talent (of which he boasted), for 
adapting himself to any and every class of society and 
surroundings, she was not satisfied. 

“ Yes,” she cried, anxiously, “ do take me home, Ben- 
jamin ; I do not like this place.” 

He turned away, saying he would rejoin her in a mo- 
ment. He and Lady Clare then paced slowly down the 
room together, engaged in earnest conversation. As he 
withdrew, some of the strange men spoke to her, but she 
found herself unable to show any interest, and gazed 
about in a bewildered and abstracted manner, almost 
ready to cry, like a child, who suddenly realizes that it is 
lost. Spencer had been attracted by something familiar 
he had detected in a side-view of her face, and by shift- 
ing his position a little, Tvas astonished to find that it 
was Hagar. He was about hurrying forward to speak 
to her, when he noticed that she gave him a curious 
look and turned her face the other way. It was so pal- 
pable a cut ‘that there was no mistaking its meaning ; 
but, though keenly sensitive to the slight, Spencer 
moved away with the reflection that she was of the 
world, worldly; and that her ungraciousness and in- 
gratitude would surely hurt herself more than him. ^ He 
had read the accounts in the newspapers of her flight 
with 'Smiles,’ alias Lamont. and now realized for the 
first time that her blonde betrayer ^vas transformed into 


162 


HAGAE. 


the dark man who had just left her. And though he 
knew, from the press reports, that this polished villain 
was a secret agent of the rebellious chiefs whom he and 
his people honored as the avengers of the Deity, he at 
once determined to track him, and, if possible, to deliver 
him into the hands of the law, that he might be punished 
for his detestable crimes. 

The doctor wants to speak with you before you go, 
said Lady Clare to Lamont, as they went along. 

But I have no time to waste now upon our ‘ Esop the 
wuse.’ I should shrewdly conjecture that he has no news 
with which ^ my Lady ’ is not familial* ? 

^‘Oh, yes; I can tell you if you ju’efer. Your wife 
and children have arrived at New York, by steamer, 
on their way to this city. ” 

Lamont stopped as suddenly as if he had been para- 
lyzed in every nerve. 

“ Nonsense ! ” he exclaimed. It is impossible ! I 
had letters from her at Cleveland, and the last received 
in Hamilton, Ontario, told of the severe illness of her 
mother, at whose bedside she was constantly detained. 
But what news has the doctor received on this sub- 
ject?’’ he anxiously inquired, moving on slowly as 
before. 

It only came to-day, and I thought Soi)i)y better tell 
you about it fully. He mentioned merely the fact to 
me, but he has a letter from Colt witli full details. You 
remember, you instructed Colt several months ago, to 
communicate to him any facts that might serve you if 
he was unable to send me word direct ; and it seems 
that both letters and telegrams regarding your wife’s 
move have been sent and lost. Colt is determined to 
shield you, while doing his best for his mistress ; but it 
appears that she is terribly aroused by the newspaper 
accounts about you, and that her object in coming here 
is to endeavor to ascertain the truth. Her mother is 
dead. ” 

Well, here is a pretty state of things ! You should 
have informed me of this the moment after my arrival. 
I have received orders to join Bragg for a special ser- 
vice as quickly as possible, and shall set out to-night on 
my journey. I had little supposed that my enterprise 
would receive such a damper as this ! But the arrival 


HAGAE. 


163 


of my wife is not the most imminent danger. Where 
did you pick up that countryfied plebe in the tweed 
suit ? ” 

You know him ? asked Madame, with surprise. 

Yes, but that is not the worst of it. He knows me, and, 
it he ishould penetrate my disguise, will give the alarm 
before I can get out of reach. You must take care he 
dosen’t get out of the house for at least three hours 
after I leave here. The address of the lodgings in Vine 
street is on that card. You must be sure and go there 
early to-morrow morning and fetch the gild away at 
onpe. I shall rely upon you and the doctor to manage 
('olt in such a way as to induce Catherine to return to 
New Orleans as early as possible. And, above all, tell 
him to do his best to keep the newspapers from her, for 
of all the damnable things in this world for causing 
trouble, they are the worst. My domestic affairs have 
always gone on with perfect harmony, and I don’t care 
to have them disturbed now by the ravings of a lot of 
grovelling penny-a-liners ! ” 

Though Lady Clare was incdined to laugh at this out- 
burst of righteous indignation, her thoughts were too 
much occupied with more serious matters. 

‘‘ I see that the loss of his daughter killed the poor old 
man. Had she a mother living ? ” she asked. 

‘^No ,* nor was she the lawful child of old man Taine, 
though she may have been his own all the same. She 

was an orphan — a foundling 

^‘But all the reports 1 saw spoke of her only as 
“ Miss Taine” or as Dr. Taine’s daughter.” I did 
not see a line about her being a foundling — not a line ! 
But are you sure ? ” 

Certain ! Mrs. Taine, the second, who is childless, 
and has been the doctor’s wife for as many years as the 
girl is old, told me the whole story. I am surprised 
the scribblers did not get hold of it. ” 

“A foundling!” said Lady Clare to herself. She 
was, apparently, much moved, and wished to detain 
Lament with furUiei* questions, but he had turned, 
saying he must not lose another moment, and was 
going rapidly towards the saloon door. 

Taking liis arm she accompanied him, and asked 
in a whisper : 


164 


HAGAR. 


“ And what is her name ? 

I call her ^ Kitty, ’ which you will continue for my 
sake. 

“ Tliat is merely a pet name, then ? But what was 
real name ? ” 

‘‘ Oh ! that’s too ugly ! Her mother, who drowned her- 
self in a pond near the Taine’s house, left a written 
request that she he called ^Hagar,’ and so she was 
jiamed, to appease the ghost of the suicide. Take good 
care of her — she is yours now, 3^011 know.’ ” 

As he said this carelessly', he went towards Hagar, 
who hastened out of the grou]) of talkers to meet him. 

Madame Adamanti gasped the word ^ Hagar ! ’ in a 
sutfocated tone, and almost svvooned under a su lden 
pressure of emotion. But she rallied herself sufficient- 
ly to hid them ‘ good night, ’ and when they had passed 
into the hall, sank upon a sofa, calling somebody' to 
bring her salts. Dr. Cavin 'and several others hiirrie 1 
to her side, hut just then all present were alarmed hy' 
the sound of strange voices in the hall, and the breath- 
less announcement of “soldiers! soldiers!” by' Jerry. 
Spencer threw himself into a chair, exclaiming with 
saintly resignation. 

“ What next ! ” 

But the rest of the company, including Lady Clare, 
who was supported hy the doctor, rushed into the hall 
where a most unexpected tableau was presented. For 
a while there was considerable commotion. An officer 
in uniform and a picket of six Union soldiers with 
fixed bayonets, stood across the doorway, having entered 
when the bolts were drawn for Lamont ami his compan- 
ion to depart. 

“This is our man,” said tlie officer, pointing to 
Lamont, “ Or will be, when we put him through a little 
process of scouring. Beg pardon, Miss ; sorry to inter- 
rupt you so unceremoniously. But the Rev. Mr. Smiles, 
alias Charles Lamont, alias ^ March, ’ and so forth, is an 
enemy of the Union, and a spy whom we shall be obliged 
to take care of. If you are the young girl he carried 
away from Cleveland, as appears from your pretty face 
and your modesty, you will hear something for your 
benefit at the City Hall, I think. I^ermit me ” he said, as 
he locked a pair of handcuff’s to Lam out’s wrists. 


HAGAR. 


3LB5 

The wily agent of the Confederacy smiled, though he 
felt that this would be a most appropriate occasion for 
him to sink through the floor, and out of sight forever. 
But he was partially consoled by the reflection that no 
papers, which could be of service to the enemy, were on 
his person '; and the only eventuality which he really 
feared, was that 'the wife who had trusted him so im- 
plicitly and whose confldence he had rewarded by 
systematic and unblushing infldelity, would now dis- 
cover what a villain he was. Although he had grown 
callous to remorse, the prospect of a punishment under 
the lash of her scorn and hate was not without real 
teiTor for him. He tried to sa}" something cheering 
to Hagar, who clung wildly to him, before he was led 
away, but she was completely overcome by the shock, 
and was carried into the drawing room just in time to 
save her from falling unconscious on the floor. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


The morning following the arrest of Charles Lament, 
there was considerable stir and anxiety among the in- 
mates of Madame Adamanti’s house, for that lady had 
fallen suddenly ill of an attack which the doctor pro- 
nounced brain fever. She was delirious when Miss 
Ross, who was the first to learn of her sickness, called 
in the doctor, sometime before daylight; and at about 
9 A. M. Spencer met Dr. Cavin in the hall, who informed 
him that the fever was increasing wdth alarming rapid- 
ity; adding sorrowfully, that the symptoms had been 
so peculiar, he felt obliged to call in another physician. 

I have seen the poor kiiuT-hearted creature brought 
very low bj^ milder attac-ks of a similar character, but 
never so bad as this, and it really looks now as if the 
hand of Death had seized her. The excitement of last 
night was too severe a shock for her.” The little doctor 
was decidedly cast down, and went away without say- 
ing a word about Spencer’s bill. 

Spencer also wore a long and solemn face. He justly 
thought that no other apostle ever found himself in ex- 
actly such a situation as that in which he Avas placed, 
and Avound up the refiection Avith a corollary wliich 
habitually figured in his experience, to the effect tliat 
Providence had not subjected him to this trial without 
good and sufficient reasons. Though commonly prosaic 
enough, the young Elder was not without a tinge of 
real chivalrous feeling in his make up, beyond and above 
mere personal braveiy. He had been thinking about 
Miss Taine (which Avas the name he always associated 
Avith Hagar) nearly all night, and trying to determine 
what, under the circumstances, he could do to serve 
her. It was evident to him that her betrayer had aban- 
doned her to a fate which promised to be a hard and 
desperate one; but she had cruelly snubbed him, and 
would, he thought, probably tell him to go about his 
business if he should attempt a renewal of her acquaint- 
ance. The more he thought about the matter the less 


HAGAR, 


167 


disposed he felt to interfere, or rather the more certain 
he was that his good intentions would be rewarded by 
further slights, if not b}^ actual indignity. His mind 
was, therefore, confused by a variety of ideas which 
were more or less conflicting. He was anxious to help 
Miss Taine, but could not perceive what was to be done 
even if she would accept his assistance; he wanted to 
get away from Castle Adamant, but there were the 
bills for medical attendance and lodging unpaid, with 
the hostess too ill to talk business, the doctor decidedly 
opposed to a compromise, and available funds at an ex- 
tremely low ebb. But one thing at least, was perfectly- 
clear. He must take some steps to prevent the aggrava- 
tion of these difliculties, and he came to the sensible 
'Conclusion that that stej) should be across the threshold 
of the Castle. The rest he would leave to Providence, 
that infinite legatee of human misery that never sneers 
at the bequests of woe. 

Having reached this decision he was much relieved, 
and at onc^ hunted up his friend Jerry, with whom he 
left his small i)arcel of effects, to be called for when he 
should secure a lodging more suited to his calling and 
his purse. Jerry liked the Mormon because he 
had amused and interested him wdth that i)retty little 
story about the angels and the package of gold plates, 
which is the foundation of Mormon faith and history. 
The boy was, therefore, glad to serve him, and said he 
was sorry he was going away. Spencer put out his 
hand to say ‘ g(K)d bj^e,’ and the negro looked at him with 
astonishment ; but when the ^lormon assured him that 
he really meant to shake hands with him, he extended 
his hand timidly, and just as Spencer grasped it tightly 
in his own. Miss Benner came into the hall from the 
diuwing room. Jerry suddenly remembered that he 
liad duty to perform downstairs, and made a bee line 
in that direction. 

His surprise at Mars^ Spencer’s sociability was of a 
very mild type as compared with that now portrayed 
on Ida’s face. 

‘‘Well! I’m dashed!’^ she exclaimed “if I don’t be- 
lieve you’re a Rad. and Abolitioner. The way you was 
fraterizin’ with that nigger would a’ shocked Abe Lin- 
coln hisself ! ” 


168 


hagae. 


Good morning, Miss Benner,” said the Mormon po- 
litely, “ I am sorry to have caused you so much annoy- 
ance. Of course, I understand that it is not customary 
among white people to shake hands with the negroes ; 
but I like Jerry, and for that matter I don’t see that I 
need fear that the black will rub off his hands, more 
than he that the white will rub off mine. It’s only a 
matter of prejudice, after all.” 

Oh, everybody to their own taste. But what’s it 
all about, anyhow ? Goin’ away, be you ? ” 

Yes ; I am able to move about now, and must return 
to my duty. I am very sorry that your aunt’s illness 
will prevent my seeing her to express my gratitude.” 

“ Well, why don’t you wait till she’s better then,” in- 
terrupted Ida. 

“ I dare not lose any more time. But I will come and 
see her when she recovers, to thank her and make her 
such returns as I am able for her great kindness to me. 
If she had known who and what I am, it is not likely 
she would have brought me into her house.” 

“ Just think of that, now ! cried Ida, clasping her 
hands together. That Bella must be a witch, for she 
can read characters like a book. Ave you a Catholic 
Priest ? ” 

“ No, Miss Benner, I belong to a new religion, or at 
least a new revelation of the old one.” 

And what is that ? ” 

“ I am a ‘ Latter-Day Saint.’ ” 

‘‘ Oh ! a Saint ? — a real Saint ! Any relation to Saint 
Valentine ? Ha ! ha I — ‘ A Latter Day Saint,’ eh ? Is 
that anything like a Seventh-day Baptist?” 

‘‘We are usually called by our enemies, “the Mor- 
mons.’^ 

“Mormons! Ugh!” cried she, stepping back. “Are 
you one of them awful polygamy savages?” 

“Yes,” said Spencer, shrugging his shoulders, “you 
have it, exactly. That is one of our pet names among 
our Christian friends.” 

“Well then, it’s a good thing for you that Aunt Clare 
didn’t know it, or she’d a left you to freeze, you can bet. 
She knows all about your kind o’ saints, I can tell you. 
She’s been there — What’s the name of the place? 
Salt Creek?” 


HAGAB. 


169 


“Salt Lake?” 

“ Yes ; I kuew it was Salt something. Well, she’s 
been there, and used to be one of the wives of a very 
good saint, who ke^jt six othei-s, an’ had about forty 
children, an’ he fed ’em all on carrots an’ dressed ’em in 
rags ; an’ the onl^^ houses they had was mud shanties, 
with the ground for lloor. Oh ! I’ve heard Aunt Clare 
tell about it dozens of times. An’ you’re one o’ their 
priest’s, eh? Well, I never!” With this she stood 
back several paces from the Elder, and surveyed him 
curiously. It was his turn now to experience surprise 
of a very peculiar land. 

From the moment when he had first conversed with 
Madame Adamant! he was conscious of something fa- 
miliar about her face, and on several subsequent occa- 
sions he found himself studying her features and trying 
to determine of whom it was that she always reminded 
him. Miss Benner’s garrulity had disclosed the secret. 
He instantly guessed that this remarkable woman who 
had saved his life and was now, in all probability, upon 
her own death-bed, was none other than the runaway 
wife of a Mormon Bishop, who, for years, had been his 
father’s neighbor and friend in the Mormon capital. It 
had all happened when he was a small boy, but he re- 
membered the leading incidents perfectly, and knew 
that the face that had caused him so much study, was 
but the elder stage of one with which he had been well 
acquainted, — that of the Bishop’s beautiful wife, Hope, 
who was called the ‘ prettiest woman in the church.’ 

But Ida seemed disturbed after she had said all this, 
and, quickly changing her voice from a tone of banter 
to one of supplication, she went on : 

“ But, say, Mr. Spencer, you won’t tell Aunt Clare, oi* 
anybody else, will you ? She’d never forgive me if she 
found out that I’d spoken of it. You won’t tell her, will 
you ? ” 

“Certainly hot. I shall tell nobody.” 

The negro Tom came quietly towards them, his eyes 
filling with tears. 

“ For de Lor’, Miss Ida an ’ Mars ’ Spencer,” said he, 
“ pore missus ’ 11 be done gone ’ fore dem doctors gits 
here. She’s jes ’ sinkin ’ lower an ’ lower, an ’ Miss 
Belle’s jes skeered outen her life, too— 


170 


HAGAH. 


Spencer turned impulsively, saying that he would go 
out send endeavor to hurry them a little. And without 
a moment’s hesitation, he drew on his overcoat, and sal- 
lied forth into the frosty air. 

It was the first time he had been out of the house since 
the night he was picked up by Lady Clare half frozen. 
He enjoyed the sense of freedom which came back to 
him as he left that rich but ill-omened mahsion, and 
having caught sight of Dr. Cavin coming with another 
man as he passed out at the gate, he faced the other 
way and increased his speed, as much as his lame foot 
would permit, determined that as he was well out of 
the place, he would not go in again. 

The ugly suspicions which had lately' filled his mind 
respecting the Castle and its occupants, were quickly 
crystallized into firm convictions when he came in con- 
tact with the outer air ; and however seriousl^^ he was 
occupied with his own immediate condition and pros- 
pects, he could not for one moment ignore the peril into 
which poor Hagar was thrown. He must procure a lodg- 
ing at once, and set to work to inform her friends of 
her situation. 

With these and many other like refiections he wander- 
ed on through several streets, occasionally enquiring 
the prices at boarding houses that were beyond his 
means, until about the middle of the afternoon, wheji 
he came across a neat looking inn situated in a narrow 
street near the river front. On introducing himself 
to the landlord and making known something about his 
character, he was surprised and delighted to find that 
his host had been a member of the Mormon church m 
the palmy days of Kirtland, and still felt a friendly 
interest concerning the cause. He acknowledged in 
due form to Spencer that he believed Joseph Smith, 
the martyr, to have been a true pro])het, and greeted 
the Elder as a true apostle. 

To give a practical turn to his faith and friendship 
I lie landlord said : 

“ Why, we aint hed a ’postle in these yer parts fer a 
long time, an’ I kin tell ye ye’r welcome. father, 
ole Si Brown of Concord (he lived to 9.3), was a half- 
cousin to the Simon pure proi)het, Joe Smith, and he 
used to know Brigham like a book, too. He’d a went 
over to the prophet liisself but for the old lady’s in- 


HAGAE. 


171 


flooence, who was a hard-shell Baptist. An’ do you tell 
me that you’re a reg’ler Brig Young Mormon, bigamy 
an’ all?” 

Spencer assured him that he was a saint of the true 
stamp, and offered to show him his credentials, where- 
upon he opened his heart in these terms : 

“ Then shake ! An’ I’ll say to 3^011 as the old man said 
to both 3^0111' prophets when they was along our wa3', 
‘ you’re welcome to what I’ve got, free of charge,’” 

lYithin a few da3"S Spencer found his mission pros- 
pering beyond his most sanguine hopes. The landlord 
introduced him to many sympathizers, both male and 
female, and lie found a number among them whose 
minds were prepared for the move to Zion. JVleetings 
were held in their private houses, shops and factories, 
and so great an interest was manifested that the news- 
papers took up the matter. 

The 3'oung saint Avas naturally elated hy the favora- 
ble turn in his fortunes, and began to picture to him- 
self the wholesale conversion of numberless sinners 
AVhich was to result from the landlord’s friendship and 
bounty. What a triumpli it would be, he thought, if he 
should be enabled to join the next transcontinental 
caravan at the Missouri Itiver with a company of con- 
verts from that ungodly State of Ohio, which had so 
cruell3" persecuted the prophets and the saints. 

Finally the supporters of the Elder hired the Free 
Chapel and held a grand public demonstration, which 
the3' called a ^‘conference. ” This meeting was attended 
b3' some of the leading ministers of the city, and the 
following Sunday they ans^wered the Mormon from 
their pulpits to the general satisfaction of theii* congre- 
gations. 

But in the height of his prosperity and success, 
Spencer did not forget Hagar ; in fact she was never 
absent from his thoughts. A few days after he quitted 
tlie castle he called there after dark to get his bundle 
from Jerry, and was gratified to learn that Madame 
had ordered that no visitors should be admitted to the 
lioiise, and that the young girl they called Kitty, seemed 
to be pretty happy. Jerry reported further that Lad3" 
Clare Avas ex[)ected to die at almost any moment. Sev- 
eral doctors had agreed that hei* recovery Avas impos- 
sible. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


** The world is the book of women.” 

—Rousseau. 

One Sunday soon after Lament’s arrest, Hagar ex- 
pressed a wish to go to church, and was taken by Ida 
to the Free Chapel, where Dr. Bruce, a popular lecturer, 
who had a considerable following among free thinkers 
and others who were not connected with any regulai* 

( hiircli, gave an interesting discourse on Mormonism. 
The subject had been suggested by the presence of 
Elder Spencer in Cincinnati, and Dr. Bruce’s attend- 
ance at one of his meetings. 

The Doctor denounced the 'Mormon pretentions 
judiciously, and a somewhat exciting scene was caused 
by Spencer making an attempt to reply to him. The 
Elder saw Hagar when leaving the hall, but she avoided 
him and hurried to the carriage. 

When Hagar and Ida returned to Castle Adamant, 
after the service at Dr. Bruce’s chapel, they were met 
in the hall by Miss Ross, who, in reply to Ida’s en- 
quiries about the condition of Aunt Clare, said that she 
had been in her right mind for two or three hours, and 
asked to see “Kitty.” 

“ She seems so anxious to sec you, Kitty ; but the 
new doctor says it is only a fancy, and she must not be 
allowed to see anybody at present.” 

“I am very glad to hear that Madame Adamanti is 
better,” Hagar said mechanically. And then, with a 
wistful look at Miss Ross, and about the- room, she 
j clded : “ Is there no news, nothing from my husband ? ” 
O'here was unsteadiness in her voice as she spoke, and 
she sat down and wept bitterly when Miss Ross replied 
indifferently, “No.” 

Hagar retired to her room, where Ida presently joined 
her. She had bnished away her tears, and was making 
an effort to be cheerful. 

“ I must really go to our lodgings to-morrow,’^ she said, 
her sweet voice stiU muffled with tears. “There 


HAGAE. 


173 


may be letters there for me from my father. I have not 
heard a word from him, though I have written several 
times. The world seems dark and hopeless to me, Ida ; 
what Avould you do if you were in my place ? Don’t 
you think they would let me see my husband ? ” 

Gracious, no I These are war times, you know, 
and Dr. Gavin says, the hebbus carcass act has been 
suspended, so they can arrest and put in jail whoever 
they like. But there’s no use o’ your fretting about 
Char — about 3'our husband, cos, he’s already got another 
wife, and you’re in the fix of one of them girls Dr. Bruce 
was telling about. You’re only a Hagar,” like the rest 
of us.” 

Hagar was startled by these strange words, and 
quite unable to understand them. She remembered that 
Dr. Bruce had spoken of the Biblical Hagjar, and had a 
faint idea of the drift of his remarks. But her mind 
had been so preoccupied with her troubles, that she had 
not been able to follow the Doctor’s thoughts. Ida 
spoke in a tone of heartless railery which indicated that 
she was for more callous than w^as really the case. She 
knelt in an easy chair, resting her elbows on the cush- 
ioned back and her chin in her palms. There she 
crouched watching her frightened companion grow pale. 
An amused smile of spiteful satisfaction was playing 
fibout her mouth. She was wondering what Kitty” 
would say. 

My husband has another wife ? ” H’agar asked with 
some effort, after a moment’s pause. Ida nodded malic- 
iously. 

How do you know that ? What is the meaning of all 
this strange acting that is going on here ? Where have 
3 0U known my husband ? ” 

At New Orleans. He was always the handsomest 
Knight of the Carnival.” 

“ Why, Ida, how can you talk so ? My husband resides 
at Boston, and is a minister of the Gospel. You are 
cruel to bilk like this to me,” said poor Hagar, her heart 
alread^^ half mistrustful. 

You’re a little fool, Kitty. Ha, ha, ha!” laughed 
Ida, with palpable artifice, and going to Hagar to em- 
brace her. Do you mean to tell me seriously that you 
believe you are Charley Lament’s wife ? ” 


174 


HAGAE. 


“ ‘Charley Lament ?’ I do not know such a person— my 
husband’s name is Smiles — the Reverend Benjamin T. 
Smiles.” 

Ida laughed so uproariously in response to this t(hat 
Hagar could not help smiling as she said innocently : — 

“ You think the name so funny, then ? ” 

“ I was wondering if the “ T ” was for tears, for Char- 
ley always was the most terrific sport, and I reckon he’s 
had more tears shed over him than any man out of jail, 
an’ now he’s in, too. But, see here, Kitty, let’s under- 
stand each other.” 

“ I wish I could understand you, Ida ; but indeed, I 
don’t know what you are talking about.”' 

“ Well, look here ; ye didn’t run away from your real 
husband. Smiles, to come here with Charley Lament, did 
ye?” 

“ You know I came here with my husband. Whom do 
you mean by Charley Lament ? ” Hagar was struggling 
between impatience, uncertainty, and dread. She scarce- 
ly knew what to say, but looked as puzzled as she felt. 

That was him you came here with, who was taken 
away by old Abe’s soldiers. So you see I’m right, he’s 
the Knight of the Carnival, and the husband of one of 
the richest and prettiest women in New Orleans, and 
w^hat’s more, he’s got two children.” 

The words of the officer who arrested Lament now 
rung in Hagai’s ears, and her first sense of the truth 
oppressed her. 

“ There must be some mistake ! ” she said, trying to 
control her emotion, and seizing Ida by the arm. “ You 
are trying to deceive and alarm me, Ida. Confess that 
it is so. Even if my husband is a rebel spy, and if he 
bears a different name from that I knew him by, he has 
no other wife. Come, Ida, tell me you are only jok- 
ing—” 

“Well, you can ask Aunt Clare when she is well 
enough. I’ve, only told you the truth for your own 
good.” 

Hagar did not w^eep. Clasping her hands over her 
face, she said, faintly, “Oh, what shall I do!”^ She 
reeled for an instant, but by an effort kept her feet and 
went unsteadily towards -the door, near which, on a 
table, were her bonnet and wraps just as she had left 


HAGAE. 


175 


them on entering. The sight of them seemed to revive 
her. Hurriedly reassuming them, she rushed down the 
stairs and out into the street before Ida could give an 
alarm. The latter called Miss Boss, and after a consul- 
tation, they decided, as there was no doctor in the house, 
they ought to tell Aunt Clare. 

The courtesan was but little better than on the day 
she was so suddenly stricken down by her old malady. In 
her delirium she had said nothing in relation to Hagar to 
create distrust in the suspicious minds about her ; but 
as soon as she recovered consciousness she had asked 
about the girl “ Kitty,’’ with business-like solicitude, and 
given orders that she must not be introduced to any of 
the frequenters of the house. She had afterwards 
fallen into a stupor from which it was not supposed she 
would rally ; but to-day she was better again, and had 
been saying that she was anxious to see Kitty, so that 
her attendents .had reason to dread the shock the giiTs 
escape might give her. 

Miss Boss undertook the delicate mission, however. 
She was a woman of a type that is considered beantiful 
in some parts of the Orient. Of a dark, opaque complex- 
ion, with short bine black curls clustered about her head, 
she might have been taken by a casual observer, for a 
mulatto. She was, however, pure Creole, and possessed 
of personal graces and accomplishments which might 
have rendered her acceptable in any society. 

She softly approached the bedside of Lady Clare, 
whose illness had already prodnced'a significant change 
in her appearance, and, taking up the thin hand that lay 
out on the silk counterpane, said , 

You have had a nice nap, Aunt Clare ? I hope you 
feel a little better ? ” 

No, Belle,” replied Madame Adamanti in a whisper. 

“ But I am a little stronger, I think, and while I am so I 
want to arrange my affairs as well as possible, for I am 
going to die.” 

Don’t talk like that; it’s foolish. You will be as 
well as ever in a day or two, I’m sure.’’ 

Miss Boss was studying how to broach the subject of 
the run-away girl when Lady Clare continued : — 

You remember. Belle, I once told you that I had a 
child, a daughter.” 


176 


HAGAR. 


“ Yes, the one you abandoned at Cleveland, when you 
ran away with the Mormons. ” 

“ Well, 1 have seen her : she is still alire. ” 

Belle was so sur})rised that she sprang to her feet iii 
tlie firm conviction that her mistress was drifting away 
again into the dreary realms of delirium. 

“You needn’t be afraid, I was never more sound in 
my reason than at the present moment. The gir-1 
brought here the other night by Charles Lament is my 
daughter. ’’ 

“ Impossible ! He told me he got her in Canada. ” 

“ His treachery has brought her to me, but no matter 
about that, it shall not bring her to any further harm if 
I can prevent it. To leave no doubt in the matter 1 
want you to go at once and see Lament. I have a pass 
to the military prison. Tell him that for special rea- 
sons, valuable to him as well as to me, I want to know 
all the facts he can give about the girl’s history, her 
parentage, age and every detail he can supply. Tell him 
I am ill or I should have come myself. In the pocket of* 
the dress I had on the night he was here you will find 
a card he gave me. On it is the address of the lodgings 
v/here all the girl’s luggage and some property belonging 
to Lament, were left. Oh ! What would I give. Belle, 
for an hour’s conversation this day with some honest 
man, who would think nothing of what I am, but hear 
my confession, and only regard me as what I might have 
been. I must find somebody to take care of that poor 
girl. And I suppose some conceited hypocrite of a law- 
yer is my only alternative. ” 

Why don’t you send for a priest ? That’s what I’d 
do if I were in your frame of mind,” said Miss Ross 
rather absently, dreading more than ever the shock to 
her mistress when she should learn of Kitty’s flight. 

“ No, no ; I don’t want one of those gentry with their 
sanctimonious deceit. He would probably offer me 
absolution if I would leave him my fortune. When 
we approach death, no matter what our lives have been, 
we crave for the presence of some one whose record is 
such as our better conscience approves. Ours is the bit- 
terest fate of all. Belle ; the most vile, the most repul- 
sive. We may get beyond shame, but we sink deeper 
and deeper into the miseries of a living death, and go 


HAGAE. 


177 


about as mere moving corpses for years before we 
reach the grave. I am not sorry I am nearing the end. 
lam just thirty-seven years old, but I am treble that 
in suflering and sin. As the last actdn my tragedy, I 
was conniving at the shame of my own child ! . . . ,. j3ut 
there, I must let you go. And yet, something tells me 
I should send for somebody to whose care I can leave the 
girl. There is not one among the mass of men I know 
whom I Avould trust with such a commission. I must see 
the poor child, too, and talk Avith her before I die. She 
can iieAW know who or what I was. For whom shall I 
send. Belle ? I may not feel so well another day. I 
haA^e not a moment to lose.*^ 

‘*1 think you ought to send for a priest; no better 
man than my confessor, Father O’Kouke, could be found 
in Cincinnati ; or else for a sister of charity. ’’ 

^That my child may be robbed, and forced into a nun- 
nery ? I may as well consign her to the Mormons at 
once ! ’’ 

“A"ou are prejudiced. Aunt Clare, said Miss Ross, 
Avho AA^as brought up in the Roman faith, educated in a 
convent, and now counted among her friends a hand- 
some young j)i*iest of Erin, who often gave her abso- 
lution. 

“I confess I am so, but not without good reason, as 
you know. No priests or nuns for me. I know what 
ril do, I Avill send for one w^ho is despised by the priests 
as I despise them. Bring my portfolio and write me a 
note to that Dr. Bruce of the Free Chapel. I believe that 
lie is a man of more merit than pretence. He has a Avife 
and children whom he loves and honors, and all the 
Churchmen accuse him of being too partial to publicans 
and sinners. Tlie other day the priests of all sects 
wanted to mob him because he prayed beside the grave 
of a poor Avretch who died in a house like this. He 
will neither be afriad to come here, nor to undertake my 
commission. 

Belle had brought the portfolio and was waiting at 
the bedside. 

^AVhat shall I sayJJ 

The invalid dictated the following brief notej which 
Belle wrote in a graceful hand, 


178 


HAGAE. 


To Doctor Bruce, 

The Free Chapel, Cincinnati : 

Sir ; You will pardon a poor outcast for taking the lib- 
erty to send for you. She does so because she sorely needs 
a friend. You will know who I am by the name at the bot- 
tom of this. It is, of course, not my real name. I am dying. 
Shall I see you at once ? 

Clare Adamanti.” 

At the bottom Belle added the addi*ess, and the words 
“written by her friend Belle.” 

The excitement caused by the unusual activity of her 
mind had considerably exhausted Lady Clare. But her 
resolution conquered, and after a brief spell of cough- 
ing, she directed Belle to go at once on her errand and 
to send “Kitty” to her. Belle only said “Yes dear,” 
and was gone, deeming explanations inexpedient. 

It was now about the middle of the afternoon, and 
Belle knew it would require the rest of the day to make 
the circuit marked out for her. The carriage was 
waiting, so she only tarried long enough to tell Ida not 
to let Aunt Clare know about Kitty’s absence. 

Various projects had begun to form in Belle’s mind 
even before she quitted her mistress’ room. Was it 
really likely that Lady Clare would die soon ? She re- 
membered a former promise of the courtesan’s, to 
leave her a handsome competence. Would that promise 
ever be fulfilled, or was she now determined to leave 
all to her own child ? 

“ In this life, ” she mused, trickery is my only weap- 
on. If I have wit I must use it. The girl, no matter who 
she is, must take care of herself. It is certain she is 
Clare’s child, for she is too shrewd to blunder there. A 
very good reason, then, Tvhy she must never see her 
again. A w^eek. She said she could not live a week. 
Well, Mike and I can do much in a w^eek. If the girl has 
disappeared, and nothing is heard of her, she will easily 
believe that she has gone back to her friends. She’s got 
nt least $150,000, and it should all be mine. But the 
first thing I must do is to see Mike. ” 

She told the coachman to stop at her drug store. 

“Y^es,” she said, continuing her cogitations, “Mike 
will know just what to do. He has often said that 
Lady Clare ought to do something handsome by me. 


HAGAR. 


179 


I think I’ll destroy this now.” Here she took the note 
directed to Dr. Bruce, from her pocket. ‘‘But perhaps 
I better let Mike see it,” she went on after she had torn 
the envelope slightly, “for it may be best to send it 
after all.” She put it back into her pocket, and told 
the coachman to drive faster. 

The drug store at which the carriage presently stop- 
ped was not in the business portion of the city. 

The only other place of business in the vicinity was 
a grocery, which w^as closed. The wind was blowing 
bleakly so that most people wei*e in-doors. The next 
building but one on the south side of the drug store was 
a Romish church built of gi*ey-stone, in a mixed 
and ornate style of architecture, at that time one of 
the most solid looking places of worship in the cit3^ 

The owner of the drug store, being a good Catholic, 
was allowed to use the alley which ran through from 
the rear of the church to the other street for bringing 
in goods, and had a door at the side of his building for 
that purpose. It was, moreover, used as an entrance 
to the parochial school and was convenient for women 
who did not wish their husbands to know they went to 
confession, and others who wanted to seek priestlj’’ 
society or counsel without exciting suspicion. 

Belle passed through the drug store and out at the 
side door. As she approached the door of the parson- 
age she was met by a man who glanced at her and hur- 
ried on. Father O’Rouke was alone and iinfeignedly 
glad to see her. He bestowed rather more than 
fatherly kiss on her pouting lips, and clasped her in 
an embrace that suggested the lover rather than the 
anchorite. Father O’Rouke was, )no doubt, a bad speci- 
men of his kind, if it is to be accounted bad to do and 
be exactly the opposite of all that one pretends, all that 
he vows, and all that is commonly accepted as right. 
To the eye he was a typical priest, about thirty-five. 

Belle was too much occupied with her business pro 
jects to waste much time with his endearments, and told 
him at once what had brought her. 

“Let me see the note,” said O’Rouke, “of course 
it can’t go to the heretic : that won’t do, but in case we 
want to send it — well, what’s the matter ?” 

I’ve lost the note ! ^ ciied the woman. 


ISO 


HAGAE. 


Nonsense ! look again. ^ 

She looked in vain, in her pocket, and her muff ; and 
finally the fiorid Michael O’Rouke, priest and teacher, 
w'ent out and searched along the alley and in the drug 
store, and asked Mr. Cresser, the clerk, to be good 
enough to look in the carriage and see if the lady had 
dropped it there, telling him it was a most important 
document. 

When Belle alighted from the carriage the letter had 
dropped under her feet and had been blown against the 
curbstone on the other side of the street. It was picked 
up by the man she met in the alley, who, on reading the 
the address, decided to deliver the stray missive, as he 
had to pass the Free Chaj)el on his way home. 

O'Rouke confessed that there was a bare possibility 
that, if she had dropped the note in the street, some- 
body might pick it up and take it to its destination. But 
he thought the chance very remote, and said that he 
would himself undertake to intercept the heretic even 
though he shoidd receive it. Belle then set out for the 
military prison where quite a number of the ^^boys in 
grey” were already in durance vile. Her last words to 
the priest were. 

<‘For goodness sake, Mike, don’t let that man go to 
Castle Adamant, even if you have to throttle him.” 

He’ll not go there, darling. Lave that to me. Its my 
duty to protect the innocent, and I’ll do it, darling. 111 do 
it ivery toime.” 

Moved by a righteous indignation, he was promj)tly 
on his way to Dr. Bruce’s house, having arranged with 
Belle to call at the parsonage on her way home to com- 
pare notes. 

The Free Chapel was only a few squares away, and 
the Doctor’s home was situated in the lot adjoining. 
The priest’s adamantine assurance wavered slightly as 
he approa,ched the door of this cottage, where dwelt a 
man whom he regarded with the utmost repugnance. 
But he walked deliberately up the steps wondering if 
his visit was observed by any of his own flock, knocked 
gently, and in a moment the door was opened by a 
bright sunny-headed little boy of probably six years. 

“ Is Dr. Bruce at home, little man ? ” asked O’Rouke. 

^^Yes, sir,” the child replied, and then, running to 


HAGAE. 


181 


tlje open door Of an adjoining room, he said, Its a gen- 
tleman to see you father” 

Dr. Bruce was just going out. He had on his overcoat, 
and carried his hat and walking stick in his hand. 

‘‘ You will pardon me, doctor,” said O'Rouke blandly, 
I have called on very important private business.” 

Will you walk in, I am at your service,” replied Dr. 
Bruce, throwing open a door on the opposite side of the 
hall, and becJvoning him to enter. 

They were alone in a neat and warm little drawing 
room, and O’Rouke spoke to the point at once. The 
priest, being on his good behavior, had unconsciously 
dropped his brogue. 

^^My name is O’Rouke, I’m a Catholic priest. A 
parishoner of mine tells me that a note was sent to you 
to-day, merely to annoy you, by a woman of the town 
(in view, no doubt, of your late condescension in the 
case of one of her class), and the matter coming to my 
notice, I thought it no more than justice to you that 
I should warn you of the trick.” 

The doctor was puzzled. The priest’s ready inven- 
tion had every appearance of being genuine. He took 
a few seconds to reflect before he answered. 

Yes, I have received such a note, and was just going 
in answer to the summons.” 

“ Then I’m heartily glad. Doctor, that I’m in time to 
save you from the imposition.’’ 

“I am grateful to you Mr. O’Rouke, so far, but I 
must not decide too suddenly ; the woman says she’s 
dying.” 

“All trash and make-believe. With a foul gang of 
wretches in a drunken orgie they mean to laugh you 
to scorn on the holy Sabbath day. But,” he continued 
in a haughty voice, and rising to go, “I have performed 
what I considered a duty, though an unpleasant one. 
It is for you to do as you see fit. Forewarned is fore- 
armed. Good day, sir.” 

“One moment, Mr. O’Rouke,” said Dr. Bruce with 
gentle dignity. O’Rouke had missed his play. With 
a man like Dr. Bruce,' common honesty might always 
win, whereas either bluft* or finesse would be sure to 
fail, for he could readily fathom them. He guessed 
at once that the priest had some hidden motive in seek- 


182 


HAGAR. 


iiig to prevent his going to the address mentioned in 
the note. 

It seems the note was lost in the road — did your in- 
formant say who was the bearer of it ? 

^^Now yer afther cross-questioning me, so I’ve done 
wid ye,” said the priest impetuously and with full 
brogue. Its plain you think there’s something wrong 
about my story ! ” 

‘‘Not in the least, Mr. O’Rouke, I was merely 
guarding against what might possibly be inaccuracy 
on the part of your informant, for I should rather risk 
the assault you say is in store for me, than fail in my 
duty to a fellow creature.” 

Smelling defeat the priest moderated his petulance, 
and answered calmly: — “Well, then, the bearer was a 
servant in the house of Clara Adamanti who heard the 
contents of the note and the plot in connection with 
it, and came to me for m3" advice. She lost the note, but 
I suspected it might find its wa}^ to you and came here 
to warn 3"ou of the trap, thinking you would at least 
thank me for m3" trouble, and 3'ourself be saved from 
an outrage.” 

“I thank you most heartily, Mr. O’Rouke, and shall 
certaiul3" not ex[)ose m3"self to such a danger after your 
friendly notice.” 

As there was nothing more to be said O’Rouke with- 
drew, .thoroughly appreciating the equivocal nature of 
the doctor’s final words. 

It was after nightfall when Belle again alighted at 
the parsonage. O’Rouke was read3" to receive her. 
But she was so much troubled by the fact that the let- 
ter had been delivered that she considered all else as 
useless, and merely saiu that Lament’s account of the 
girl was exactly what Lady Clare had told her years 
ago, and that the girl was not and had not been at the 
lodgings in Vine street. 

“ I suspect,” said O’Rouke, “ that Bruce has gone to 
Lady Clare’s. Your dropping that note has spoiled 
everything ! If you had only had time to get a few 
dare-devils there to receive him ! But its too late for 
that now ; the mischief’s done. Niver mind, Belle, darlin. 
“You can generally count on the plans of the hereti- 
cal divils goin’ awry. And take note that while there’s 


EAGAE. 


183 


oi)ly one thing in joui* way, all else is in your favor. 
Be off now, child, be off, an’ moind you, don’t forget your 
bades ! 


CHAPTER XIX. 


Have I not liad my brain seared, my heart riven, 

Hopes sapped, name blighted, life’s life lied away? 

—Byron. 

By the time Miss Ross arrived at Castle Adamant, 
Dr. Bruce had been there fully an hour. 

“ You are already aware, said Mme. Adamanti, plung- 
ing at last into those terrible confidences which she had 
summoned him to hear, — “ that the name by which I am 
known is a fictitious one. I adopted it in the hope that 
it might help me to become as hard as a fiendish desire 
for vengeance made me wish to be. I find we cannot 
readily transform ourselves into definitions of words. 
Indeed, I have designed more hard deeds than I have 
performed, though often the performance lay easily 
within my reach. I was named “ Hope,’^ and a poor 
blighted hope I have proved myself indeed ! What fa- 
tality there is in names Our family name was Vin- 

cent. We had a small farm in Ohio southeast from 
Cleveland, and my father was deacon of the church in 
the village near by the farm. From my earliest recol- 
lection 1 was not hajjpy or contented with my life there. 
As I grew older, the weary monotony of existence 
seemed to crush my spirit ; I longed to see what the rest 
of the world was like, for I felt that if it were anything 
like the copy before me, it must be a sorry affair. The 
long sermons twice each Sunday, and at least two pray- 
er meetings I was obliged to attend during the week, 
caused me to regard religion as the greatest curse on 
earth, and I early began to invent all sorts of excuses 
for staying away from them. My elder sister (w*e were 
the only children of our parents, and she was three 
years my senior) was perfectly satisfied Avith her lot, 
and the minister said she was the pattern for all the 
other young people to copy after. I began to dislike 
her and call her a hy[)ocrite; and by pretending sick- 
ness, or purposely hurting m3 self, I would manage to 
\stay at home, and while the others were away I would 


HAGAE. 


185 


reaxi all the books and papers I could find. Sometimes 
1 could only get hold of some old almanac, a catalogue 
of patent medicines, a treatise in pamphlet form on hog 
cholera, or the price list of a lightning-rod factory (how 
vividly I recall them all now ! ) but I would read every 
word of them several times over. I seemed to have an 
insatiable craving for knowledge, and by the time I was 
thirteen I was thoroughly miserable. 

“ That same summer I formed a resolution. A daugh- 
ter of the village doctor, who had been my playfellow, 
came home from Cleveland, where she had just finished 
her first year in a girl’s seminary, to pass the summer 
vacation. The account she gave me of her companions 
at school, the library of books, and the interesting 
studies seemed to set my brain on fire ; and when she had 
gone I went to my father and asked him to let me go to 
the same school. But he said it would cost more than 
he could earn, and after scolding me for such foolish- 
ness, told me to go about my knitting. He was a rough, 
kind-hearted man, but never seemed to like me because 
of my wayw'ardness. ITnable to comprehend me he 
divined a latent force which unconsciously he feared. 
A few days afterwards I was talking to the doctor’s 
daughter and asked her if they would let me come to the 
school if I would work for them. I would scrub, wash 
dishes, or do anything they wished, if they would only 
let me come there. 1 had got the notion from something 
she had said about poor girls working for their educa- 
tion, and she said she thought they would take me. 
The resolution I formed was to go to Cleveland without 
saying a word to those at home, as I knew they would 
jirevent me. It was my duty to drive the cow to pas- 
ture in the morning, after she was milked, and I had 
to take her along the very road which I had always 
known as the “ Cleveland Road.” 

One morning instead of coming back from the pas- 
ture I kept straight on, and shunning everybody that 
came along, did not stop or turn aside until I reached the 
city at about four o’clock in the afternoon. I was 
amazed at the great crowded streets, as they seemed to 
me, and for some time I wandered about in a dreamy 
state, scarcely knowing where I was, or what I was 


iS6 


HAGAB. 


there for ; I was not tired, for I had always been used 
to taking long walks j nor hungry, because 1 had eaten 
some pieces of bread and cheese I stored in my pocket 
before starting for the pasture. But as it began to get 
dark I felt afraid and bethought myself of the school 
which I must try at once to find. I had never been 
more than a few miles from home before, and had no 
idea how I was to find the school. As 1 remembered 
the name, however, I soon enquired my way, and the 
mistress gave me supper and lodging with some reluc- 
tance, telling me that she would send word to my father 
in the morning and I must go directly home. The next 
day but one my father came Avith his Avagon and took 
me back. When he got me home he flogged me with 
a raw-hide whip, and from that day it seems that my 
(loom was sealed. 

I grew more miserable and dissatisfied as I grew 
older and my distasteful surroundings became more 
loathsome to me every day. I had some wild birds 'in 
cages and I let them all go because I thought they must 
feel as I did. I will not attempt to describe the anguish 
1 suffered during the next three years. We seemed to get 
poorer all the time, and all I heard Avas long prayers 
morning and evening, and long blessings at each scanty 
meal, and fault-finding and grumbling the rest of 
the day. My father called me a ^‘lazy burden” my 
mother said resignedly that her cross was a A^ery heavy 
one and I was a sharp thorn in her side ; and my sister 
told me religiously that there was no doubt I was pos- 
sessed of a devil, and that I might at any time be turned 
into a cat or a pig if I did not give up my foolish ways 
and try and listen to the Gospel. I tried several times to 
tell both father and mother of the longing which en- 
thralled my heart and brain, a longing A\;hich I could not 
then, in my ignorance and innocence, define, but which 
I know now w^as wholly and solely for knowledge, 
; (Ivancement. Even then I used to think, and enraged 
my sister by telling her, that less time spent at prayer- 
meetings and love feasts, as they called some of their 
inane gatherings, and more in gaining useful knowledge, 
and making useful effort, might improve our situation. 
But thinking this a reference to my father’s shiftless- 


HAGAR. 


187 


ness, as I admit it was, she merely said that he was a 
good and religious man, and everything was secondary 
to that. I often thought when this remark recurred to 
me, that it was a pity I was not constituted to share 
their holy satisfaction and self-sufficiency, and that 
in the very midst of so much saving grace’^ a phrase 
forever on their tongues, I was slowly but inevitably 
to be damned!’^ 

My father made such threats that I was afraid to 
run away again, and I eked out my existence in con- 
stant misery as if I had been an outcast without par- 
ents, friends, or wits. As I would not go to the relig- 
ious meetings, I could have no clothes, and when I was 
sixteen I had but one shabby calico dress I could wear 
outside the house ; no beggar could have been in a worse 
plight. Books were denied me, partly because of my 
stubbornness, and partly because my father was of 
opinion that they all contained something against relig- 
ion. Even if by any stratagem I procured one to read, 
it was sent back to the owner with an insulting mes- 
sage, if the owner’s name happened to be in it, or if not 
it was thrown into the fire. So that very soon the few 
friends I had were the best possible allies of my father, 
and I could not get a book on any pretext. The only 
newspaper I ever had a chance to see was a stupid week- 
ly periodical called Church Chimes,” I think, the sen- 
timents of which were exactly in keeping with the read- 
ers it found in our house. It w^as a mere pander to the 
most brutal ignorance and superstition, which, instead 
of seeking to deliver its readers from their moral and 
intellectual obscurity, invented the most cunning de- 
vices, as I now remember, to perpetuate their con- 
ceited stolidity. There may be such publications 
still in circulation in Christendom, but the only journal 
I have seen since then which is an exact counterpart in 
spirit, of that pestilential sheet, is the official organ of 
the Mormon Church at Salt Lake City — 

You have been there, then ? ” asked Doctor Bruce, 
with surprise. ‘‘ You have been to Utah ? ” 

Oh, yes ; I have been there : I was among the first to 
go. But I shall come to that presently. Can you bear 
with me a little longer, Doctor ? I want you to know 
all, that you may see I came not willingly to what I am : 


188 


HAGAB. 


that you may know a more awful phase of the “ Greater 
Bondage/’ than you touched upon in your lecture. For 
if sin ill its common shape is a bondage worse than slav- 
ery, and far worse than death, what shall be said of a 
system which forces this bondage upon its votaries as 
a religion, and grinds their hearts to powder in the at- 
tempt to reconcile them to its filthy and unnatural de- 
mand ! ” She spoke with such vehemence that the Doc- 
tor rose from his chair and entreated her to be more 
calm. 

was speaking of the paper,” she resumed, ^^but I 
have yet to tell you that it was the direct cause of my 
attempting to take my own life, a few days after my six- 
teenth birthday. In all my sulf erings, such means of es- 
cape had never occurred to me until I read in our relig- 
ious ” iiaper the most sentimental account of the suicide 
of a young girl who had drowned herself, as they said, in 
a fit of temporary insanity. But she was a church-going 
girl, and the account went on to say that her mind had 
been shattered by sickness, and closed with a conjecture 
that she might even have fallen into the river by acci- 
dent. Both my mother and sister had told me so often 
that I was out of my mind, I sometimes thought it 
might be true; and now on reading this account the 
thought of destroying myself took a sudden hold on me 
and preyed upon my brain like a fever. I disputed with 
myself the advisability of the step for several days, but 
each day the determination grew stronger till at last the 
thought of vanishing entirely from the miser^^ which I 
thought had shattered my mind, made me merry, and the 
chilly indifference of those about me became even more 
marked at the change in my demeanor. On the Sunday 
morning after my birthday (which was only remem- 
bered by the family circle with regret), I drove the cow 
to the pasture as usual, and came back to the house and 
put on my best clothes. As the others were starting 
for church I came into the room, I was so much 
amused at the solemn, church-going expression on their 
faces, that I laughed, and then asked them, with half 
comic audacity, to kiss me good-b3"e before they went. 
My father and mother had been quarreling for an hour, 
and were not in the best of humor, so that this unheard 
of demand from me caused the former to hastily cram 


HAGAR. 


-189 


Ms testament into Ms coat pocket and go outside, and 
provoked the latter to raise her best parasol as if to 
strike me. As they went away, I heard my father say 
to mother, that if she had not always been a religious 
woman, he would feel inclined to doubt that “Hoe’^ (as 
they always called me) was any r.elation to him. To 
which she replied that I was a dreadful trial for them 
both — but that I was not quite so bad as the burden of 
their poor pastor who had a son twenty-five years old, 
a helpless idiot, not even able to eat his food, or help 
himself in any way. This was said as they were getting 
into the wagon, and as I turned away from the window 
where I had heard it all, I wept bitterly, and decided at 
once that they should never see me alive again. Soon 
after my father’s wagon was out of sight, I went across 
the fields to another road leading into the village which 
crossed a deep and rapid stream about half a mile from 
our farm, and hurried along towards the bridge with 
the resolute intention of drowning myself. When I 
reached the stream I could see nobody coming from 
either direction, and felt my brain reeling as I staggered 
to the middle of the bridge and threw myself headlong 
from its side near the center of the current. I was 
almost unconscious when I fell, but as I struck the cold 
river, I felt a sharp pain in my right side. The cold 
shock restored my senses so that in an dnstant I fully 
realized my situation, and wondered why I was not dead 
— why I was still there close to the bridge suffering 
dreadfully, but only swung about by the seething cur- 
rent and not carried away to the doom I had sought. 
I instantly discovered that my clothes were caught on 
something below the surface of the water, and that I 
had scratched and bruised myself on the same obstacle 
when I fell. I uttered no cry though my head was kei»t 
above water by the snag or timber which held me. I 
only thought of breaking away, bat I tried in vain. Of 
a sudden there was a dull roaring noise above me which 
startled me so that I screamed wildly two or three times, 
and struggled madly to break away. I heard voices. A 
wagon or carriage had stooped on the bridge, and a 
horseman rode to the middle, just above me and dis- 
mounted. A moment later I saw people looking down at 
me, and a young man climbing down the timbers towards 
me. 


190 


HAGAR 


must have fainted, for I remember nothing that 
happened until the same night I awoke from my stupor 
and found myself in my own bed with mother and 
lister sitting beside me. They told me I had been saved 
by young Mr. Langley. I knew of him and his family 
merely as the very poor know of the very rich. It 
seems that one of their servants recognized me, and 
Mrs. Langley, having just returned from church in 
her carriage, sent me directly home without waiting 
to see whether I was alive or dead. 

‘‘ Next morning the doctor, having heard of my res- 
cue from the river, and knowing that my father wmuld 
probably not call a doctor until too late, came in to in- 
quire about me. He found me with a broken arm and 
idb, and in a consuming fever. As he was engage! 
in setting the bones, my father entered and told him 
in a surly manner that if he did anything for me he 
needn’t send a bill, for he had scarcely enough to live 
on, and anyw^ay would not spend a cent on a hussy that 
tried to take her own life. The doctor merely replied, 

‘ I shall send you no bill, Mr. Vincent, ’ and went on 
with his work, saying what he could to soothe and en- 
courage me. I lay ill for some time, and was a great 
burden to my mother and sister, but the doctor took 
good care of me, and the young man who rescued me 
from the river called every day, to inquire how I was. 

When I was convalescent I was sitting one afternoon 
in a rocking chair under a large apple tree in front of 
the house. Young Langley rode ui> to the gate, and 
seeing me there, dismounted and came in. We were 
alone for some time, and he gave me to understand that 
he had taken a great fancy to me. Before he left he 
asked me to go for a drive with him next day, which I 
was refusing to do as I did not like his manner, when 
my mother came up and told him, ^yes, I should cer- 
tainly go.’ She and sister made me a new dress of some 
light material so that I looked neat, and was secretly 
proud of my sudden distinction though far from being 
comfortable in the enjoyment of it. That dri^e proved 
but the beginning of a series in which I was drawn 
deeper and deeper into the toils by his adroit flattery 
and dissimulation. He knew that I was at his mercy : my 
ignorance, commonly called innocence, fashioned me for 


HAGAR. 


191 


his purpose, and the blind and criminal neglect of my 
people left me to my fate. The tragedy of the foolish 
maiden fascinated and betrayed, Avas at length enacted 
when he had led me to think that we were to be married 
in a few days. He kept up the deception for a time, 
and then told me flatly that he had never intended to 
marry me. He tore a ring from my finger Avhich he had 
placed there as a part of his trick, and left me, as he 
hoped, no doubt, forever. 

“ It Avas soon after reported that he had been convert- 
ed to Mormonism by some missionaries Avho had been 
quietly Avorking in the neighborhood, and that he had 
gone to their City of NauA^oo on the Mississippi. Wlio 
shall tell the forlorn agony of spirit which then beset 
me ! I should have made another attemi)t to destroy my- 
self, had I not been held back by the existence of my 
child, which I could no longer conceal. 

When my father became aware of my situation he 
drove me out of the house and warned me never to shoAV 
myself there again. But this seemed to me only a just 
punishment, though of all that then concerned me I only 
fully realized that I had been betrayed. My poor moth- 
er begged him to have pity on me, and my sister added 
her entreaties, but he would not listen, and I Avandered 
slowly away scarce knowing Avhat I Avas about. The 
instinct of self-preservation seemed at last to arouse me, 
and I made my way to CleA^eland where I found employ- 
ment as a domestic servant. The woman Avith whom I 
lived was very kind to me in my desolation. She Avas 
bearing the cross of a faithless husband and entered 
into my sorrow. I told lier my story, and after my 
< hihl came she advised me to write to its father. He 
was then at Nauvoo, and in reply to my letter said I 
might come to him if I came alone. My employt‘ ■ 
helped me to devise a plan for the temporary abandon- 
ment of my baby, leading me to hope that I might reco^ - 
(u* it whenever I was ready. At last I adopted her plan 
as the only escape from my miseries short of suicid(\ 
What bitter anguish it caused me to leave my child I 
But I mustered up my resolution, and the tragedy of my 
life went on. Early one morning I left the little dainty 
creature near the house of a good old minister, — ^the 
same Hr, Taine Avho died recently at Cleveland from a 


192 


HAGAR. 


shock caused by the flight of his daughter with the rebel 
spy, Lamont.” 

“ Yes, I remember.” 

“ That was my daughter — ^the foundling, Hagar ! ” 

For a time she could not speak. 

All these years,” she continued, at length, I had 
supposed her dead, and now she is here, under this roof, 
brought and delivered to me by my friend, her be- 
tra3^er ! ” 

Her form quivered with emotion, and for a time it 
seemed that she would not be able to continue. But by 
a desperate effort she controled her emotion, and went 
on. 

“ Hoping to secure kind treatment for the child, I 
left a note with her intimating that I had drowned m.y- 
self in a pond near by ; and after I had seen a workman 
pick up m,y bab.y and carry her to the house, I went back 
to the city and joined a party of Mormon emigrants who 
were starting that da.y for Nauvoo. I took my place in 
one of their wagons. The.y were all heavily" laden with 
house-furniture, agricultural implements and provisions. 
By seven o’clock Ave Avere moving slowly out of the 
city to begin that gloomy pilgrimage. By what seem- 
ed to me a fatality, we traveled the same road I had al- 
ready been that morning, and were soon passing the 
very house where I was leaving my sonl. It was only 
by the most determined effort that I could restrain m^^- 
self from leaping from the wagon and going to claim 
my deserted baby. The workmen, the minister, and 
some women and children Avere about the pond search- 
ing for the poor desperate w^retch who had deceived 
them so shamefulb^ and when I thought of what I was 
doing my face burned with remorse till I almost re- 
lented. My companions thought I wept for the friends 
I was leaving behind, and paid \ery little attention to 
me,; and as we rumbled along the hard roads, the scene 
was constantly shifting, so that by an effort I at last 
became more cheerful. 

‘‘ We were on the road almost a month, and on our ar- 
rival at Nauvoo, Langley gave me a very luke-warm re- 
ception, and instead of taking me to his own house, 
placed me in the prophet Smith’s family where my posi- 
tion was that of a servant. The prophet himself under- 


HAGAIL 


193 


took my convei'sion to the new faith, and I was soon 
satisfied wdth the w^hole Mormon pretense, the golden- 
plates, the revelations, the miracles, and all else they 
taught me. 

“ I had learned with great facility, because the prophet 
had said that I could not become Brother Langley’s 
wife for time and eternity under the ^ new and everlast- 
ing covenant,’ until I entered heartily into the religion 
that had saved him. I was willing to do anything to 
attain the end that brought me to the edge of the wilder- 
ness, and acquiesced in it all without half understanding 
what W'Us meant. They appealed to my sympathies 
also with great effect, telling me of the dreadful perse- 
cutions they had suffered in Ohio and Missouri, and 
1 only heard at Nauvoo w^hat the gentiles did against the 
saints, and never a word about the aggTession and mis- 
conduct of the latter. The prophet’s wife and one or 
two of his concubines coached me sedulously for some 
secret and mysterious ceremony that I must pass 
through in the Temple to become the celestial wife of 
Brother Langley, as they said ; and by that time I had 
imbibed so much of their prejudice against the world 
in general that I regarded them almost at their owm 
estimation. 

I had been in Nauvoo a year w'hen I was finally told 
I was to be married to Bishop Langley. In the interval 
I had received letters regularly from Mrs. Benjamin 
my employer in Cleveland until the last two months, 
during w^hich I had three or four brief notes dictated 
by her and written by another hand. These informed 
me that Mrs. Benjamin was prostrated by a severe 
illness My letters were always brought to me opened 
by Langley, w'ho took my replies to the post-office. I 
was never allowed money enough even to pay postage 
on a letter. The last one I ever received was appar- 
ently in the same hand as the others, and stated that 
the baby I had abandoned had died of croup, and that 
Mrs. Benjamin w^as not expected to live more than a 
few days. That letter was a forgery which Langley 
had procured to deceive me. The information he had 
received w^as to the effect that Mrs. Benjamin had died 
suddenly, and he believed that all clue to the child per- 
ished with her. In the crushing grief v/hich seized 


194 


HAGAPv. 


me a;t the news of my baby’s death, Langley made some 
weak efforts to cheer me, and so desolate was my life 
that I tried to fancy, though i)ainfully conscious of 
his lack of proper feeling, that his attentions were all 
that my heart craved. The ' celestial ’ ceremony was 
deferred for a short time in consequence of my sorrow, 
Avhich they called ^ sickness.’ At length the fatal day 
arrived, and I was made a ^celestial’ wife to Langley, 
given a name by which I was to be known to the saints 
in heaven, and overcome by the avalanche of mystery 
and mummery which the new priesthood had at its com- 
mand ; the borrowed rubbish of all systems supplement- 
ed by inventions of its own. 

“ I had not quite undei stood the covert reference I had 
heard made in the prophet’s fa-mily as to the meaning of 
‘ celestial ’ marriage, and was liorrihed on my arrival at 
Langley’s house to be introduced to another woman as 
his wife, whom I was commanded to honor and obey as 
himself. The soi)histries of that woman, who was re- 
lated to the prophet and had been a pupil of his vis- 
ionary and ignorant mother, gradually caused me to ac- 
cept the situation, though my nature continually re- 
volted against what I felt to be an ignominious and con- 
temptible relation. In spite of the ‘celestial’ poems 
of one of the prophet’s concubines ; the most polyga- 
mous passages from Scidpture ; the prophet’s undoubted 
inspiration from on high, and the quiet but insinuating 
canvass of the doctrine that was then being made, I 
could not help thinking myself wronged ; could not si- 
lence the still, small voice that nature had established in 
my soul, and that cried out against this sanctified out- 
rage. 

“ But a crisis was approaching, and in the midst of 
alarms more or less real, I gradually became so indiffer- 
ent that I could not tell myself from the fanatics about 
me. In the winter of 1845, Langley was among the most 
influential of those who stood by Brigham Young, and 
favored the project of moving in a body to the far 
West, there to establish an empire of their own. Their 
prophet and his brother had been killed some time be- 
fore, by a. mob in Carthage Jail, where they were con- 
fined on charges the Mormons considered to be false, 
and the people were now obliged to fly before the 


HAGAR. 


195 


dangers that threatened, unless tliey were willing to 
live like other citizens according to the customary 
laws of order and decency. 

Very thrilling was her narrative of the journey of 
the pioneer Mormon train, of which she was a member, 
in the spring and summer of 1847, from the Missouri 
River to the Great Salt Lake. The region had only 
been explored a short time before by General Fremont, 
and that entire country extending two thousand miles 
from East to West and over a thousand from North to 
South was a trackless wilderness. The memory of 
the fatigues and dangers of tliat dreadrul pilgrimage 
came back like a nightmare to tlie poor invalid, and she 
hastened on to the later scenes. 

“As the colony at Salt Lake grew in numbers, and agri- 
culture was the only ])roductive industry then possi- 
ble, mere necessaries of life were produced in quanti- 
ties far exceeding the needs of the community ; and Ed- 
win Langley was the first, having some good teams and 
wagons at his disposal, to turn a cargo of such commodi- 
ties into gold, among the rich placers that had riveted 
the attention of the world on California. Tiie first ad- 
venture of the kind having succeeded far beyond his 
liopes, he repeated it again and again with such re- 
sults thdt he was recognized as the richest and most en- 
terprising saint in Zion. He gave his support to all 
schemes set on foot by Brigham Young for the general 
welfare of the ^ Saints,’ and was soon only second to the 
new prophet himself, in his Avealth of lands, fiocks and 
herds, and wives and children. 

“After several years of untold humiliation, during 
which I had struggled in vain against my unquenchable 
aversion to the system, I resolved if i^ossible to escape 
to California. The fact that 1 bore no children was 
m.ade a subject of ugly comment about me, both by my 
saintly lord and his more fortunate concubines, two of 
whom were vulgar factory hands from Coventry, who 
found the saintly life entirely satisfactory and laughed 
at me for my crazy notions. At length m 3 ' opportunity 
arrived. A handsome 3 'oung man with whom Langle 3 ’ 
had become acquainted in California, stopped at Salt 
Lake on his way to the States, and was invited by Lang- 
ley to visit at his house, which was one of the few good 


196 


HAGAR. 


ones in the Mormon Capital. I often met him, and he 
sought me constantly, uttering words of sympathy, and 
finally obtaining not only a complete confession ot my 
miserable lot, but an infiuence over me which was ir- 
resistible. e were aware of the danger of our secret 
conferences, and as the stranger had already overstaffed 
his time, were conscious that something desperate must 
be done, and that parting from each other was not to be 
one of the alternatives. He was a cool and deliberate 
man. He successfully planned our flight, and we went 
together to New Orleans, arriving in the gay season of 
the Carnival. 

I had noticed on the steamboat that my husband, as 
I called Mm, sat up late every night to gamble, and thati 
he inevitably won. My life became a kind of delirium, 
the dazzle and whirl of which increased immensely after 
our arrival at the Crescent City, where we were sur- 
rounded by sporting men and the beauties of the town 
who were old and familiar friends of my lover. I soon 
became intoxicated by the life of this gay society, so 
strangely in contrast with the rest of my experience, and 
went on and on in the maddening round of pleasure until 
it became as indispensable to me as to the rest. 

“We had only been in New Orleans a few months 
when my lover was shot dead at a gambling table. I was 
again left to battle with life. All the world outside the 
constellation where Fate had cast me was closed against 
me forever, but I did not realize this fact until I had 
proved it by bitter experience. It then became clear to 
me that I must remain where I was and make the best 
or the worst of my lot. Possessed of a certain shrewd- 
ness and tact I sold the costly lace and diamonds my 
lover had given me, and with the proceeds, added to 
some timely loans from his friends, opened a sumptuous 
I)alace, which soon eclipsed in splendor and patronage 
everything of the kind that had been known in the 
Paris of the Southern States, I speculated on the Ex- 
change, and in the slave market, was lucky, and found I 
was rapidly amassing a fortune. Finally, about four 
years ago I came to Cincinnati with several ambitious 
designs ; but my chief object was health : I could not 
longer endure the climate of New Orleans. 

“ Now, Hr. Bruce, you have heard my story. My money 


HAGAE. 


197 


and my poor child are here — can you undertake my 
commission ? ’’ She spoke with strong emotion, and 
for the first time during, the narration, wept bitterly. 

Yes, madam, ’’ said tne Doctor if I can serve you 
and the young girl of whom you speak, I will do so. 
What do you require from me?” 

‘‘ To become executor and administrator of my estate, 
to which she is the only heir. I should prefer that you 
sell all jreal-estate and turn It into ready money. 
Nothing that I shall leave for her is the fruit of my 
vicious life ; I made it all on the Stock Exchange by a 
series of lucky si>eculations. Whatever 1 realized 
otherwise I shall leave to those like myself who are noAV 
in possession, and as a fund to help 3 'oung women who 
are in peril because of their poverty and ignorance.” 

An ominous tremor shook her frame and for some 
time she remained silent. Then she said feebly : 

“Would it be possible. Doctor Bruce, to haA^e the 

papers made out now ^this evening? I feel that I 

must not delay.” 

“Yes, it could be done to-night but, perhaps, if you 
were patient until to-morroAv ?” 

“There will be no to-morroAV for me. Doctor. I beg 
you do it now.” 

She raised herself quickly to a sitting posture and, 
glancing about with a wild apprehensive gaze, brushed 
the back of her hand across her eyes as if to wipe away 
a mist that suddenly came before her. 

“ Quick ! Doctor, quick ! Don’t let me die till this 
is done ! ” 

The Doctor was holding her hand and supporting her. 

“ Feel no alarm ; — it shall be done at once. Lie doAvn 
and be patient. I have a legal friend who lives near 
by. I can bring him in a moment, and everything shall 
be done as you wish.” 

His words calmed her, and she sank back upon the 
])illow with a faint smile and a pathetic look of grati- 
tude. 

As the Doctor passed through the hall he said to Miss 
Boss and Ida who came to him for news of the patient : 

“ Keep her A^'ery quiet until I return. One of you 
should stay by her and give the medicine as her doc- 
tor directed. It is a powerful stimtulant and she will 
require it.” 


HAGAE. 


1<)8 

He had just gone out the front door when Mme. Ad- 
amanti s bell was heard and Mis^s Boss hastened to her. 

A kindly smile lit up her- grief -marked face when 
Belle approached and asked in a voice of genuine feel- 
ing how she was. 

“ 1 am better now, and will soon be well.’^ 

Her voice sounded strange, and made Belle feel un- 
easy. She continued : — 

“ 1 wanted to see you. Belle, to tell you that I am go- 
ing to make my will. My promise to you, Ida, and the 
others is not forgotten. But the rest of my estate 1 
shall leave to this girl, ‘ Kitty, ’ who is my own and only 
child, i want you to tell her, at once, that a gentleman 
has been here who has her fortune in trust, and that 
he is coming back presently to show her the papers. 
At a signal from me you will bring her here, and after 
1 have embraced her she will go with Dr. Bruce, — 
ignorant of what or who I am.’^ 

Miss Boss kept her counsel about the girl’s flight, 
hoping there still might' be a turn to her oAvn ad- 
vantage. As Mme. Adamanti continued to talk about 
her -child with a strange, embittered curiosity. Doctor 
Bruce came in with the lawyer, and Belle retired. 

The will was soon prepared, but Mme. Adamanti 
experienced great difficulty in signing her name. When 
all was ready she summoned Miss Boss to bring ‘ Kitty. ’ 

“ She must know you as her benefactor. Dr. Bruce, 
without a hint that the bounty comes from me. — ^Well 
where is Kitty ? ’’ she demanded when Miss Boss en- 
tered alone. 

Bell was half abashed, half defiant, 
don’t know.” 

What do you mean ? ” 

'' Simply that the girl is not in the house. She has 
run away.” 

Again Lady Clare raised herself to a sitting posture 
and glared wildly about, ringing her hands. 

‘^Gone? Gone! You have fooled me, then ? Begone 
yourself and never let me see your face again. But 
you will find her. Dr. Bruce ? Go now and look for her 
— go at once ; — find her if you hope for mercy ! Oh, 
devils ! vipers ! to betray the innocent. Find her or the 
curse of God shall pursue •” 


HAGAE. 


199 


She gasped and sank back. At that moment her 
doctor entered. Surprised by the unwonted scene he 
hurried to the bedside and involuntarily seized the wrist 
of his patient. A gesture from Doctor Bruce reassured 
him and the silence was only broken by the death- 
moan of the sufferer. 

Suddenly the watchers were startled by a ring at the 
front door bell. Jerry knew that his mistress was 
dying and opened the door noiselessly. 

“ I have a warrant to search this house for one Hagar 
Taine, and to arrest the keeper, Clare Adamanti.” 

It was a Captain of the Military police who spoke, 
and a squad of armed men were with him. 

^^Hush!” said Jerry softly and bursting into tears. 
‘‘ She is dying.” 

“ And the girl ? ” 

“Has fled.” 


CHAPTER XX: 


Hajgar, after leaving Castle Adamant, wandered 
about the streets for a time entirely bewildered and 
oppressed by the wildest apprehensions. That quarter 
of the city was pervaded by the silence of Sunday. 
The air was cold, and the streets were comparatively 
deserted. She was alarmed by the fact that several 
men who passed her stopped and eyed her strangely, 
and hastened her pace with a vague idea of getting as 
far as possible from the ill-omened house where Ida had 
said all the inmates were Hagars.” The name now 
had in it some fearful meaning, and the thought that 
they might pursue and capture her thrilled her with 
terror. She rushed along, not daring to look back lest 
siie should see them coming. 

Her first impulse was to go to Mrs. Green’s house, on 
Vine Street, to which Lamont had taken her when they 
arrived at Cincinnati. Rut suppose the people of the 
Castle should come there in search of her ? No, the risk 
was too great. She must go there to get her efl'ects but 
she would wait until to-morrow, and then, perhaps, she 
might take the train to Cleveland and seek forgiveness 
from Dr. Taine and the mistress of Chestnut Grove. 

Lamont had kept her in ignorance of Dr. Taine’s death. 
She had written to him several times — once after sh(^ 
come to Cincinnati ; but it suited her betrayer’s pur- 
pose not to send the letters, and he had destroj^ed them. 

At leng-th, dazed by her strange surroundings and 
well-nigh distracted by a sense of her desperate pre- 
dicament, the words of the officer who arrested Lamont 
occured to her : — “ You may hear something to ^mur ad- 
vantage at the City Hall.” 

By (lint of persistently enquiring her way she finally 
found the City Hall. The place was silent and deserted 
but she went slowly up the stone steps and was about 
to knock when the janitor opened the door. 

In answer to her question he told her to call at ten 
o’clock next day, and she turned away more downcast 


HAGAB. 


201 


than ever. Aimlessly she continued her wanderings, 
ignorant and indifferent as to where she was or whither 
her steps might lead. Her mental state was fast ap- 
proaching that phrase of melancholy which immediately 
precedes self-murder. 

Towards evening she found herself in a quarter of the 
metropolis which, by its squalid and unwholesome as- 
pect spoke of the pinching poverty and degradation of 
its inhabitants, and told by signs of awful significance, 
that even the most civilized part of the community was 
but one step removed from barbarism. Hagar instdnc- 
tively felt that here she would be safe, as the denizens 
of the villa district would never think to seek her among 
the wretched and obscure. Her meditations now be- 
gan to take a practical turn : Here she would find only 
people w^ho worked hard for their daily bread. Her 
purse 'was almost empty. By her own act she had lost 
the friends who had loved her, and wuth whom she might 
alwa^’s have had a home. What was to prevent her 
from earning a living by the work of her hands ? Now 
and then, as she went along she heard the voice of some 
humble housewife singing merrily, and a bevy of factory 
girls who passed her were a picture of mirth and con- 
tentment. 

Yes, she would exchange the clothes she had for some 
like those they wore, and, finding a lodging in their 
midst would hide herself and her sorrow in one of the 
neighboring factories. 

A little further on she saw a group of women talking 
and laughing at the gate of a large manufactory. She 
accosted them on the pretense of inquiring her way, 
and when she said something about looking for work, 
some of them giggled, eyed her from head to foot, and 
made a sneering remark about hunting work on Sun- 
day.’^ One of the forewomen seeing her embarrassment 
and the tearful evidence of her distress, stepped for- 
ward, rebuked the girls, and said kindly : — 

'' You have met with, misfortune ? Come in, and I will 
help you if I can.’’ 

Hagar was led into a neat little room which served as 
the forewoman’s parlor and bedroom. The latter intro- 
duced herself as “ Miss Dayton” and ex])lained that 
most of the regular hands were boarded and lodged at 
the factory by their employers. 


202 


HAGAB. 


Davis and Jones,” said Miss Dayton, “ are contractors 
lor army clothing and are very kind to the employes who 
are earning a fortune for them : If you know how to run 
a sewing machine, or could learn quickly, you can make 
good wages here, and I can get lodgings for you with my 
married sister, Mrs. Johnson, who lives near by.” 

She asked no impertinent questions, and Hagar gave 
the brief explanation that she iiad lately lost her hus- 
band, and should be in absolute want unless she heard 
from her people. She said her name was ‘‘ Mrs. Smiles,’’ 
but Miss Dayton who was a little hard of hearing, 
thought she said “ Miles.” Hagar offered no correction, 
and was so introduced to Mrs. Johnson, whose lodger she 
became. 

Her first night’s experience in the realm of squalor 
was far from encouraging. Mrs. Johnson, in the kind- 
ness of her heart, got out her whitest sheets and pillow- 
slips and did her best to make the stranger comfortable. 
Hut just as Hagar w^as falling into a doze at midnight, 
Mr. Johnson came home from his regular Sunday pleas- 
ures, and made the rest of the night hideous by boister- 
ous songs and a quarrel with his wife. The partitions 
of the old frame house were thin, and when the inebri- 
ate’s wife begged him to be quiet on account of a young 
lady lodger in the spare room, Hagar heard him say : 

“ ell, well, got a lodger, eh ? And a lady lodger at 
that ? Well, I'll just go up and see what she’s like ” 

Mrs. Johnson ])revented him oid}^ with gi^eat difficulty, 
and poor Hagar lay trembling with terror until near 
daybreak, when the drunken wretch became quiet. 
Then she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion and was not 
awakened until ten o’clock when Mrs. Johnson came to 
her with some tea and toast and many tearful apologies. 

Hagar went to the City Hall directly after breakfast. 
She did not see Mr. .Johnson. His wife assured her, 
however, that he would not be intoxicated again before 
Sunday. 

The ^Jayor was not in, but his clerk handed her a let- 
ter that had come in his honor’s care. She recognized 
the hand- writing as J osephine’s, and took a cab that she 
might read it on her way to Vine Street. From it she 
received the news of Doctor Taine’s death. She gave 
way to ecstacy of grief, but was spared the knowl- 


HAQAR. 


203 


edge that his death was directly due to her conduct. 
J osephine referred to it as if supposing that Hagar al- 
ready knew the details, and in the same connection in- 
formed her that Mrs. Taine had gone to Boston for her 
health leaving Chestnut Grove in charge of the servants, 
and had given out that she would spend the summer 
abroad. Josephine expressed the warmest friendship 
and keenest sympathy for Hagar, and, in conclusion 
said; am coming to Cincinnati as soon as I can 
make my preparations, to help with nursing the sick 
and wounded soldiers in the hospital there. If you will 
communicate with me, my dear Hagar, and let me know 
where to find you, we might live and v ork together and 
comfort each other in these awful times. When this 
strife is ended we may be alone indeed. The last ac- 
counts I saw of our friends at the front were sad 
enough : My dear husband had been wounded in the 
arm, James Taine was hurt by the fall of a horse tliat 
was shot under him, and poor Mark Kilbourne, a noble 
and gallant fellow, was among the dead. He fell at 
Philip’s side while doing his duty like the brave man he 
was.” Urging her to write soon and not to be cast down 
by the cruel wrong that had been done her, the letter 
(dosed with the hope that the friends might soon meet 
in Cincinnati. 

Yes,” she said, communing with herself, “ Josephine 
is sincere; I can trust her. And yet, since I have 
brought this sorrow upon myself why should I look to 
my former friends for comfort? Why do I not rely 
on myself now as I did when I took the fatal step that 
hurled me into this abyss of wretchedness ? No, no ; 

I will not let them see me ; I will not tell them where 
I am or what I am, but hide myself with the anguish I 
have purchased by my folly.” 

She was in the mi(ist of this dreary train of thought 
when the carriage stopped, and the driver opened the 
door. 

^‘This is the house, mum ; see that brass plate beside 
the door ; Mrs. Green, Board and Lodging.” 

Hagar recognized the entrance, but if she had felt any 
doubt it would have been removed by the apparition of 
the Irish chamber-maid who was outside sweeping the 
stejjs. 


204 


HAGAE. 


She alighted, paid the fare, and then accosted Biddy. 

“Your mistress has heard what happened and pre- 
vented our return, has she not ? ” 

“ Yis, honey,” replied Biddy, looking with a mild stare 
into the young girl’s face. “ But shure,” she continued 
in a whisper, detaining Hagar at the door, “ the divils 
afther us all ! what’s cornin’ now, I declare ! ” 

Thinking that she referred to the arrest of Mr. Smiles, 
Hagar merely said in an evasive tone; “Nothing must 
astonish us, Biddy. The enemy may be right here in 
this city soon, for aught we know.” 

“ Indade, honey, she’s here already, she’s come wid ’er 
childer, honey dear, an’ she’s not an hour in the house.” 

But Hagar went in quickly without waiting to hear 
Biddy’s remark. Meeting nobody in the hall, she hur- 
ried up stairs, and, on entering the apartment that had 
been her own, found herself confronted by a bright, 
golden haired little girl who ran away calling : 

“ Ma’ma, ma’ma, here’s a lad^".” 

Hagar was stunned and confused. Could this be the 
rich and handsome wife of Lamont, and her children, 
of whom Ida had spoken ? She had but a moment for 
conjecture, for quickly answering the child’s alarm, 
Mrs. Lamont came in from the adjoining room. 

“ I did not hear you knock,” she said, eyeing Hagar 
suspiciously. 

“ No,” the latter replied, with a marked tremor in her 
voice, “ this was my apartment, and I was not aware it 
had been let to another. I beg your pardon — ” Hagar 
had become deadly pale and was now greatly abashed 
and agitated in the presence of the woman she felt to be 
her enemy. She was unable to speak another word, and 
was retreating slowly towards the door. 

“Are you the woman, then, who came here witli 
Charles Lamont, — ^with my husband ? ” demanded Mrs. 
Lamont fiercely — “ Speak, I say ! are you the she- 
devil who has robbed me of my husband ? ” 

A little boy, younger than the girl, had come from the 
bed-room with his mother, and both began to cry pit- 
eously. Dismayed by this strange and unexpected en- 
counter, Hagar could scarcely find voice to speak, but 
her alarm at the menacing aspect of her antagonist ena- 
bled her to say faintly : 


HAGAE. 


205 


No — you are mistaken, madam ; I came with my 
husband, and that was not his name. 

A negro woman, Mrs. Lamont’s servant, came in. 

Take the children into the bed-room, Dinah, and shut 
the door,’^ said her mistress. 

Dinah glanced at the visitor, and obeyed. Hagar 
would have made her escape, but the sense of danger 
which had at first transfixed her, was now giving place 
to a difi'erent feeling : — she was prepared, if need be, 
to set her betrayer’s wife at defiance. 

Do not think to deceive me, wretch, cried the South- 
ern lady, fiercely ; if it were not for my children, I’d kill 
you.” 

She rushed towards Hagar furiously as if to strike 
her, but the latter stood her ground without moving a 
muscle, and gazed at her scornfully. 

“ That would be a smaller wrong,” said Hagar calmly, 
‘Hhan your husband has done me. Do not blame me, 
madam, nor seek to avenge yourself by hurting me ; 
but go for satisfaction to the villain who has cruelly 
injured you, and ruined me ! ” 

Begone, woman, or I shall do you harm ! ” shrieked 
Mrs. Lament, Begone, begone, I say ! I’ll kill you ! ” 

Dinah having heard the excited voice of her mistress, 
came into the room again just in time to prevent a 
tragedy. She seized Mrs. Lament and held her, saying 
quickly to Hagar : 

^^For de Lord’s sake, go, young lady, go afore its too 
late ! ”, 

Hagar turned abstractedly, and left the room. Mrs. 
Lament sank into a chair sobbing hysterically. 

It had been a terrible morning for Hagar, and she 
felt gi*ateful as she waited in Mrs. Green’s parlor down 
stairs, that she had escaped unhurt. She had a few 
minutes to compose herself before the landlady came 
in, and spent them thinking of the sad case of Mrs. 
Lamont. For the moment, the wrong done herself by 
the same man who had deceived and outraged his wife 
and children, seemed as nothing by comparison. What 
was her life now, or that of her pretty children, but a 
miserable existence of doubt and apjmehension ? 
The innocent babes already began to partake of their 
mother’s despair. 


20G 


HAGAR. 


When the landlady appeared Hagar rallied her ener- 
gies and asked for the small portmanteau and hand-bag 
she had brought from Chestnut Grove. They contained 
only articles that were her own before she left home. 
She did not ask for a laige trunk of wearing apparel 
that Lament had bought for her with Mrs. Taine’s 
money, in Canada. Mrs. Green was not over-civil, but 
said she would try to obtain the articles named by the 
next day, when Hagar might send for them if she 
liked. 

‘‘There’s a letter here for you that was left with 
Biddy the night ^mu went away,” said Mrs. Green, fish- 
ing the letter out of a tall vase of common china on the 
mantle-piece. 

Hagar saw at once that it was in Lamont’s hand- 
writing, and her heart leaped, she scarcely knew 
ANdiether with hope or dread. She quickly tore it open, 
and with a sudden “excuse me” to the landlady, read 
the missive. 

“Dearest Kitty,” it ran, “the game’s up, and you 
are entirely free, so far as I am concerned, to follow the 
bent of your own genius. You are doubtless aware 
that your marriage with me at Hamilton was simply a 
farce? I needed diversion while laboring in Ohio, and 
you must confess that it was hardly my fault that you 
left your home clandestinely at three o’clock on a bitter 
winter’s morning. You remember, I warned you. 
Girls are sweet but foolish little things ! Or, is it rather 
their wisdom that makes them seek such adventures ? 
The presentation this evening to Lady Clare Adamanti, 
will give you the entree to the world of fashion. As 
dear Mrs. Taine said in one of her last letters to nie, you 
were certainly very lucky to have fallen into such good 
hands,. An re voir, Sweet Kitty ! I must be ofl‘ at once 
to the Sunny South, where my wife and children are 
awaiting me. 

Your devoted, 

Benj. T. 

So intense was her anguish that it was only by a 
determined effort that she stified the cry of agony that 
rose to her lii)s. 

“Bad news?” Asked Mrs. Green, with a malicious 
twinkle in her eyes. 


HAGiVR. 


207 


Yes,’^ replied Hagar, very bad. My father is dead ! 
AVith this she gave way to the paroxysm she could no 
longer suppress, and tearing the letter in pieces cast it 
from her. 

After she had gone, Mrs. Green gathered up the 
pieces and put them together for the diversion of her 
lodgers, and among the first to whom it was shown, was 
Mrs. Lamont. 

Late that night a negro was admitted to Mrs. Green’s 
house, who was met in the hall by Dinah, and shown 
to Afrs. Lamont’s apartment. 

She had been awaiting his arrival for some time, 
and sat, as pale as a statue, before the dying embers 
on the hearth. 

The man who was tall and well dressed, approached 
her with marked deference. 

^^Well, Colt?” said she, interrogatively, her voice 
sounding faint and husky. 

I saw the Colonel, Madam, and he sent this letter, 
which, he requested that you w^ould please read before 
asking me any questions. ” 

She took the note, o])ened and read it, and threw it 
upon the embers, wdiere it slowly smouldered until it 
w’as reduced to carbon flakes. 

^^They are not going to liang him, then,” she said, 
sighing heavily, and leaning forward with her face 
between her hands. 

‘^No, madam; he has been exchanged in accordance 
with the terms of the new convention just signed by 
the Governments of Richmond and Washington, and will 
start for Memphis in the morning by steamer. The ex- 
change will actually take place at A^icksburg, so 
that he will be in the hands of the Union authoritiefe 
for some little time yet.” 

Very well, Colt ; that w ill do. But stay ; did you ask 
Colonel Lamont if he thought our troops were likely to 
capture this city ? ” 

^^1 did, madam, and lie said it w^as not at all unlikely. 
The tables are to be turned on the North by a concerted 
invasion by fdl the confederate armies, and Cincinnati 
will probably be one of the first cities taken.” 

^^Then we may as w^ell remain here. I shall never rp- 
turn to New Orleans while that cochon Butler is tlicre, 


208 


HAGAE. 


unless it be to see him hanged, the robber ! You may 
go now, Colt ; I will decide on something in a few days. ’ 

The negro withdrew, and Dinah was shortly after dis- 
missed for the night. 

Mrs. Lament sat musing for a while. Yes, it is true ^ 
t!iat the reports 1 have seen were in Northern papers, 
as he says : — and they may have falsified the facts, or 
this woman may have been a Yankee emissary especially 
deputed to ruin him in my opinion and in that of the 
South. He loves me and is the soul of honor ; I 
know it! But what of all these appearances? What 
of this woman’s coming here to-daj', the elopement from 
Cleveland, the sudden death of the old father ? It may 
have been another man ! — ^jres another man commits the 
crime and he is charged wdth it to shield the Yankee ! 
But his arrest in company with the woman in a house 
like that! Conclusive, if true, but easily to be con- 
ceived as a telling chapter in the invention. But worst 
of all the sore misgiving in my heart ! ” 

Oh, God,” she cried, falling on her knees, and clasp- 
ing her hands wildly, help me to endure these tortur- 
ing suspicions, or in Thy mercy, show me they are base- 
less!” She wept aloud for several minutes, but was 
startled by the approach of a small figure in a white 
night gown which clasped its arms around her neck and 
said : 

“ Oh Ma’ma, dear, please don’t cry any more ! Come 
to bed; papa will soon come. It frightens Charlie and 
me to hear you cry so, Come Ma’ma, come. ” 


CHAPTEE XXL 


^ Spencer had given up all hope of seeing Hagar again 
since his plans for her rescue were knocked in the head 
by the sudden death of Madame Adamanti and the 
breaking up of her house. The fact that Dr. Bruce 
became Hope Vincent’s executor had been made public 
through the press, but every other detail was rigidly 
concealed by the doctor, to shield the young girl he 
was endeavoring to save and benefit. Spencer had 
therefore very naturally concluded that Hagar had 
either gone back to her home at Cleveland, or followed 
the fortunes of the denizens of Castle Adamant. In 
either case she had passed out of his life, as he sup- 
posed, and only recurred to him now as a sad memory. 

What was his astonishment one Sunday, after a meet- 
ing at the factory, on going with Miss Dayton to call 
on her sister, to meet Hagar face to face on the thresh- 
old of Mrs. Johnson’s house! She was going out for 
a walk, and would doubtless have passed on without 
noticing him had he not raised his hat, and exclaimed 
in a tone of wonder. 

Miss Taine ! ” 

Hagar bowed her head and hesitated, uncertain what 
to do or say. 

“ Mrs. Miles, Mr. Spencer,” said Miss Dayton, 
promptly introducing them. She had not understood 
his exclamation, and he accepted the introduction with 
as g’ood grace as he could, to save Hagar from embarrass- 
ment. The latter continued on her way after a 
few words with Miss Dayton, and, as soon as she was 
in the street, Spencer said hastily to his companion : — 
have met that young lady before, Miss Dayton, 
and must speak with her now before I lose sight of her.” 

She lives here with my sister. She’s a hand at the 
factory, and you can see her whenever you like,” in- 
terrupted Miss Dayton. She was about to tell him 
there was a mystery in connection with the stranger, 
but Spencer, saying he had something of great impor- 


210 


HAGAR. 


tance to communicate, begged her to excuse him for 
a moment, and rushed out to overtake Hagar. The 
impulse was irresistible, for he felt that if he lost 
track of her then, she would somehow vanish from his 
sight forever. 

I humbly beg your pardon. Miss Taine, ’’ he said as 
he approached her, ‘‘I must venture to speak to you 
even though you refuse to answer. ’’ 

Hagar stopped and turning her pale and giuef-marked 
face towards him, said sadly : 

Why have you hunted me out, Mr. Spencer ? Can I 
not be left alone with my sorrow ? ’’ 

Won’t you shake hands, and let me talk to you like a 
friend ; am I such a stranger ? ” 

You would remind me that you saved my life. Yes I 
but I had been happier dead,” she said, with a bitter 
smile and a quiver of her lips. But there’s my hand, 
Mr. Spencer : it was not i)ride but shame that prevented 
me from extending it before. ” Tears came as she said 
this, and even the Elder was obliged to bring his hand- 
kerchief into requisition to prevent the beady drops 
that started from his eyes, from trickling down over his 
manly beard. They walked on together. 

thought you had returned home,” said Spencer, 
after a pause and with a touch of emotion he was strug- 
gling to conceal. 

“ I have no home, ” replied Hagar. But, no matter, ” 
she continued in a tone of assumed courage, ‘‘I can 
work on here and earn my living. All I ask is to be let 
alone by the people I have met in this city. You were 
there, at the house they called the Castle. Were those 
people maniacs ? ” 

Yes, I fear they were ; ” said Spencer, noting that she 
mentioned them Avith alarm — “ but you need not dread 
them now. Madame Adamant! is dead, and I think the 
others must have left Cincinnati, for I have not seen one 
of them since.” 

'' Oh ! I do not fear them,” she replied. After some 
hesitation she continued : You seem to be acquainted 
Avith Miss Dayton, and I hear that she has become a con- 
vert to your religion ? ” 

Yes, Miss Taine ; she is the niece of one of our Bish- 
ops, and the Lord has mercifully brought her to the 
knowledge of the truth ” he replied, reverently. 


HAGAR. 


213 


“ 1 must ask a favor of you, Mr. Spencer.’’ 

I should be happy to serve you,” he replied. 

It is only that you will call me when speaking either 
of or to me, Mrs. ^ Miles,’ and not Miss ‘ Taine ; ’ you for- 
get that 1 am a married woman,” said Hagar, with evi- 
dent embarrassment. 

‘^Mrs. Miles?” he asked, as if speaking to himself. 

I do not wonder that you are surprised — ^but I came 
by this name by accident, and adopted it the better to 
conceal myself — 

By accident ? ” said the Elder, still perplexed. 

Yes. I gave Imy name as ^ Mrs. Smiles,’ but Miss 
Dayton thought I said Miles — I don’t know if I did 
wrong in letting it pass ; but I do not wish to create 
curiosity and suspicion by correcting it now, and must 
ask you to help me. Heaven oiil^^ knows what I shall 
do ! ” She had spoken quite naturally until her final ex- 
clamation, which was uttered with ])oignant apprehen- 
sion and concern. Spencer was about to venture some 
words of encouragement, when she suddenly stopi)ed 
and said 'with coldness that sent a chill through 
him : 

Please leave me, Mr. Spencer — I want to be alone.” 

As you wish,” he said, raising his hat. But will 
you not let me be a friend ? May 1 not have the priv- 
ilege of seeing you sometimes ? ” he ])aused, but, as she 
made no reply, went on. Your request concerning 
your name, I shall comply with faithfully. I do not 
think you did wrong in permitting the misunderstnnd- 
iug, for the right name being only a fictitious one could 
never be of any use to you — ” 

You ask me to let you be my fi-ieud — but you know 
you cannot be a friend to anybody who is not one with 
you in religious belief. So you told my brother James,” 
said Hagar, as if she had been reflecting on this point 
and had not noticed what he was saying. 

submit that you misquote me, but whatever I said 
then has nothing to do with my proffer to you.* 

^^Then leave me, she replied, with her former cold- 
ness, “ and if you are in earnest, let me have a few words 
with 3^011 at Mrs. Johnson’s this evening.” With a 
slight inclination of her head she walked on. The elder 
turned back. 


212 


HAGAE. 


It was a fine bracing afternoon, and the street Hagar 
had taken led to a suburban quarter where the sweet 
breath of returning s[)ring fanned her cheeks, and the 
silence seemed i)roi)itious to her musings. But few 
persons passed her during her walk. The pi*etty cottag- 
es on either side of the street, surrounded by trees and 
vshrubs that were beginning to put forth their leaves, and 
gai den plots in Avhich the gardener had begun his work, 
looked so homelike that she sighed involuntaril}^ when 
she contrasted the lot of their happy inmates with her 
own. Pi esently she was startled froln her reverie by the 
measured beat of mufiled drums, and on reaching the 
next corner, saw it was a funeral cortege on its way to 
the ceineter3^ It was evidently a soldier who was go- 
ing to his last rest, for officers in unifor'm occupied the 
carriages, troops were marching with reversed muskets 
beside the hearse, a squadron of cavalry closed up be- 
hind it as a funeral guard, and a military band was in at- 
tendance. It was one of Ohio’s gallant sons who had 
fallen in a recent battle. Hagar thought of Jameis Taine, 

of Will Sanders, of Mark Kilbourne Obliged to wait 

for the cortege to pass before she could proceed, she 
turned towards hei* lodgings and walked gloomily along, 
the only wish in her heart being that she might also die. 
She would do nothing wilfully to bring her to that sol- 
emn goal, but if God would somehow relieve her of the 
burden of what seemed her most hopeless life, she would 
think it the kindest blessing He could give. 

On her return home she found the Elder awaiting 
her. They conversed for some time in Mrs. Johnson’s 
parlor, and Spencer felt a re-awakening of his old inter- 
est, while Hagar seemed not averse to his confidence in 
her misfortune. He told her the published facts about 
Lamont, and she gave him an outline of her experience. 
Though much cast down in spirits, she had never looked 
so beautiful. With her head bowed in abject humility, 
and wringing her dainty hands in cruel seif-torture, slie 
said at the close of her story : 

And thus I sank deeper and deeper into the abyss 
he had made for me, and into which I plunged the night 
I madly left my home ! ” 

All was now plain to the Elder, and as Hagar wept, 
he sat pitying her, and wondering what he could say 


HAGAB. 


213 


that would be most likely to win her to his faith ; for it 
jwas evident, he thought, that she had been contemplat- 
ing his Zion as a possible retreat, and it only remained 
for him to paint the scene in attractive colors, and he 
might have the pleasure of guiding her thither himself. 

Other fancies accompanied these in the young 
missionary’s mind. He felt a genuine compassion 
towards the unfortunate creature, but perhaps that 
was not a sufficient motive for all the trouble he subse- 
quently took to serve her. When in reply to his queries 
she gave him to understand that she Avould not under 
any circumstance make her whereabouts known to her 
former friends, or to the members of Doctor Taine’s con- 
gregation, he told her frankly that he could assure her a 
kind reception among the saints ” and invited her to 
prayerfully reconsider the opinion she had expressed of 
them on a former occason. 

There is no reason,” said Spencer, in his most 
gracious tone, ^^why your misfortune should be known, 
for many young widows have been converted to the 
gospel ; but if it were, our people would receive you with 
the deepest sympathy as a victim of the systems we 
oppose and denounce. ” 

When the interview had reached a very interesting 
stage, and the Elder was satisfied he had sown seed 
that would be likely to yield a fair return, he was re- 
minded by the striking of the clock that it was nearly 
time for him to repair to the hall at the factory for liis 
evening meeting. After tea Hagar consented to attend 
with Miss Dayton, and was for the first time introduced 
to other converts who were going in the Elder’s company 
to Utah. 

Dazzled by the sublime picture the Elder had drawn 
of the Mormon Zion, most of his converts were eager to 
set out for that new ‘‘Land of Promise.” It was ar- 
ranged that the faithful should go by rail to Council 
Bluffs in time to join the regular autumn Emigrant 
train of the church. From that point they would re- 
quire from two to three months, with the creeping ox- 
teams, to make the journey of more than a thousand 
miles across plains, mountains and deserts that lay 
between the Missouri Eiver and the Mormon Capital. 

Up to the moment when Miss Dayton, and several 


214 


HAGAE. 


other persons with whom Hagar had become acquainted 
at the factory, were starting for Council Bluffs with 
Spencer and his lieutenants, Hagar labored on at the 
factory without deciding to join the Mormons. In spite 
of the friendly sentiments and enthusiasm of those 
about her, and a restless desire to seek some distant 
refuge, slie could not overcome her earlier impressions, 
caused by the frightful details of the Mountain Meadow 
Massacre, and other crimes she had heard imputed to the 
Mormons. But an event occurred at this time which 
quickly determined her to at least quit Cincinnati with 
them. 

One day news was brought that the Union armies in 
Kentucky had been overthrown by the Eebels, and that 
tlie Rebel General Heth, was marching on Covington 
with an enormous force of hungry and victorious troops. 
Covington, the report said, would surely fall into the 
hands of the Rebels next day, and Cincinnati would then 
be given the alternative of unconditional surrender or 
immediate bombardment. The entire city was thrown 
into a panic by this startling report, and at every hour 
fresh details were circulated which made the alarm still 
greater. The Governor of Ohio had sent for General 
Lew Wallace, a gallant officer, who had been displaced 
in the field by a blunder on the part of his superiors, 
to organize the Militia of Ohio to assist in repelling the 
threatened invasion. With 40,000 raw recruits he had 
thrown up fortifications around Covington, which were 
sufficient, added to the rapid approach of Buell's army, 
to convince the audacious Heth that the game could not 
be bagged so easily as he anticipated. But the “ Peace 
Democrats” declared that the resistance of the militia 
would be useless ; and Spencer, in speaking of the pros- 
pects among his Mormon friends, ridiculed the idea of 
their confronting the Rebel army, and predicted that 
the city merchants, dry-goods clerks, and laborers who 
composed Wallace’s force would run away like a flock 
of sheep before a band of wolves, the moment they saw 
the grim veterans of Shiloh and Donelson coming down 
upon them like an avalanche of fire. 

Hagar, though more indifferent to the approaching 
danger than any of the others, was not proof against 


HAGAB. 


215 


the alarm which was visible in every direction. Armed 
men were hurrying through the streets ; in the squares 
squads of volunteers of as motley appearance as old 
squads of volunteers, of as motley appearance as old 
mouthed Sergeants, some of whom assumed the swagger 
they thought indicative of military prowess, while ig- 
norant as cattle of all but the merest rudiments. Sev- 
eral regiments in new uniforms with their bright ac- 
coutrements flashing in the sunlight, their star-decked 
banners floating gayly, and their bands playing the 
merriest tunes, arrived by rail and marched past the 
window of Hagar’s lodging. All day long she could 
hear the sound of martial music, the loud huzzas of 
young recruits, the roar of distant cannon, and the near- 
er rattle of musketry at the drill-grounds, until she 
thought that the vague cant of Spencer to the effect that 

The prophets were now to be fulfilled,^ really had a 
tangible significance, in this state of mind Miss Day- 
ton found her a few days before the company were to 
set out for the Missouri, and it required but little i)er- 
suasion to determine Hagar to cast her lot with them. 
Defore it became generally known that Heth had been 
obliged to beat a hasty retreat, and that Cincinnati was 
safe, for the present, from sack and pillage, the little 
band of ‘‘ Saints'' were on their way, Hagar appearing- 
like the only penitent among them. The others were 
gay and boisterous as if engaged in a picnic j she was 
sad and quiet as if going to her doom. 

It was a strange; if not an imposing sight; that 
greeted them on their arrival at the Mormon rendezvous : 
A picture of human experience which has, apparently, 
]>assed away to be seen no more forever. Assembled 
on the plain near the outskirts of a small rambling vil- 
lage was a motley crowd of between 500 and GOO men, 
women and children, with their meagre effects, and with 
the wagons, oxen,- horses and mules which their co-relig- 
ionists had sent a thousand miles for them, all ready <> 
plunge into the wilderness. 

By the arrival of Elder Spencer's party the last cause 
of delay was removed and the order was issued for a 
start at break of day on the morrow. 

The emigrants were a polyglot and heterogeneous as- 


216 


HAGAR. 


semblage, consisting of a few Swiss, and a good maii.y 
English, Welsh, and Scandinavian peasants, besides 
a sprinkling of American and partially Americanized 
converts, similar to tliose brought on by Elder Spencer. 

The English “ saints spoke a diversity of dialects 
almost as irreconcilable as the language of the Swiss 
and the Welshmen, and Hagar could not believe ah first 
that they all hailed from “ Merry England.’^ The sexes 
were about equally divided, and she did jiot hear a word 
among them about polygamy. They were all anxious 
to be en route towards the Zion they had came so far to 
find, but a healthy state of discipline was maintained 
b}^ the Elders in charge, and their movements were char- 
acterized by almost military order. 

Spencer showed Hagar and Miss Dayton over the 
encampment and explained that the company was called 
a traveling Stake of Zion ’’ and divided into sections 
of ten, each of which was under the immediate charge 
of some reliable Brother ; ” that ten of these sections 
composed another subdivision, subject to the direction 
of the Elder placed in command, and that the whole was 
under the guidance of the Captain or President. Thus 
every man, woman and child in the train had his allotted 
})lace and duty, both in camp and on the march. Hagar 
felt despondent, but was carried on by the novelty of 
the scene, the mirth and rural jollity of the people, and 
the busy preparations for the start. She realized 
fully that she now had either to share the journey 
of the emigrants, or go penniless and alone to one of 
the neighboring towns : and when they told her she 
had been placed with Miss Dayton in Elder Spencer’s 
hundred, she silently acquiesced. Those to whom 
she had been introduced addressed her as ‘‘ Sister 
Miles,” and one old saint who had occupied the honor- 
able post of “ assistant working gardener ” on the estate 
of an Earl not far from Coventry, expressed the opin- 
ion of several who had met her in the camp, when he 
said that ‘ she looked like a bird of Paradise among a lot 
of barn-yard fowl.’ There was an appearance of refine- 
ment and gentility about her in spite of her poor attire 
and the ravages made on her beauty by months of grief 
and anxiety. Many of the coarse but good-hearted em- 
igrants had noticed her, and as she was made a subject 


HAGAE 


217 


of gossip among them, a statement, winked at by Elder 
Spencer, soon gained currency to the effect that she was 
the widow of a young officer who had been killed in one 
of the combats near Corinth in May. This was suffi- 
ciently vague, but answered every i)urpose, as it set at 
rest the tongues of mischief-makers who were already 
inventing scandal to account for the fact that she was 
soon to jjecome a mother. It nipped their curiosity in 
the bud and Hagar was secretly grateful for the decep- 
tion when told of it by Miss Dayton, though she dreaded 
the mystery which she felt to be enveloping her. 


CHAPTER XXn. 


We are the true born sons of Zion, 

Who with us that can compare 1 
We are the royal branch of Joseph 
The bright and the glorious morning star; 

Oh! We are the true born sous of Zion! 

—Mormon Song. 


Then followed a long and dreary pilgrimage such as 
the people of no other age or country have seen the like 
of. Travellers of to-day who fly along in ])alace cars can 
form no conception of that dreadful journey. For days 
at a time not a drop of water could be had that was fit to 
drink ; fuel was equally scarce, and the hard rations of 
squalid poverty offered but slender comfort to one of 
Hagar’s mould, whose physical and mental condition 
was on the verge of utter prostration. 

To add to the horrors of hunger, thirst, burning heat 
and blinding dust, the train was attacked by Indians 
near the crossing of the North Platte, and was only 
saved by a stratagem of Spencer. 

The Indians were posted in an old stockade which had 
formally been a stage station, and were trying to burn 
the Mormon encampment during a stormy night. They 
had already stampeded a large part of the stock, and the 
train was in gi’eat jeopardy owing to the craven coward- 
ice of the emigrants, and the short-sightedness of the 
commander. 

Unknown to all except Hagar, whom he took care to 
inform in case he should be killed, Spencer extempor- 
ized a bombshell by loailing a large iron bake-kettle 
With powder, shot and scraps of iron. He fixed a short 
fuse to it, and wrapped it round and round with strong 
wire. Then, at the risk of his life, he approached the 
stockade in the darkness, and threw his infernal ma- 
chine into the midst of the Indians. An ex})losion imme- 
diately followed which drove from the stockade all 
wiiom it did not kill or maim. 

The Mormons thought it a thunderbolt from Heaven. 
Their courage was revived, and next morning their 


HAGAB. 219 

hearts were cheered by the sight of a troop of U. S. Cav: 
airy approaching from the Westward. 

The loss of the stock which the redskins took away 
Tvith them was a sad blow to the train, and caused the 
company much delay and privation. But they struggled 
on, sustained by their faith and by the hope of a better 
time which awaited them in Zion. Many and loud were 
the murmurs at times, and often among those who made 
the strongest pretensions of religion, but no complaint 
escaped Hagar’s lips, though she was approaching a 
crisis which she might well dread. 

The train finally reached Bitter Creek, one of the 
dreariest sections of the route, towards tlie middle of 
October, and though still far from Zion, the chilly 
nights and frequent storms spoke gloomily of approach- 
ing winter. Hagar had been ill for some time with 
Mountain fever, and had become so enfeebled that much 
anxiety was felt for her. 

One day as the wagons were jolting and grating over 
the rocky-road of a steep and narrow canon they were 
descending, word was brought to Dr. Richardson (a 
young returning missionary who was a mere tyro in 
medicine) that blister Miles had suddenly become worse 
and required immediate attention. Her wagon, how- 
ever, was half a mile ahead of the doctor, and when he ar- 
]‘ived he found some of the women attending her, and 
tliat she had been prematurely delivered of a male child. 

There had been deaths and marriages, but this was 
the first and only birth that had occurred during the 
journey, and it created a momentary sensation, which 
\^'as only prevented from developing into a demon- 
stration of a somewhat coarse character, by the critical 
state of the young mother’s health. A halt of but one 
day could be allowed the poor sufferer for repose, so 
precious was every moment if they would pass the 
mountains before the roads were blocked with snow. 

The little stranger was not destined to become either 
a joy or sorrow to its desolate and broken-hearted 
mother. It was very frail from the first, and after a 
few days, had passed away. Hagar named him Ishmael 
when tliey took liis tiny body from her and buried it 
there in the sands of the desert, and among the mourn- 
ers who bore it to its final resting place, the saddest was 


220 


HAGAB. 


Spencer, wlio believed the scene was but the precursor 
of one more solemn still, when they should be called on 
to bear its mother to a grave as lonely. 

But, thanks to a strong constitution, she soon after- 
wards began to mend and was much improved in health 
before her arrival at Salt Lake. Some wagons from 
the Mormon settlements laden with fresh vegetables and 
other provisions, met the train at Green Eiver, adding 
greatly to the comfort and happiness of the company 
for the remainder of the journey. They were, however, 
delayed by snow and bad roads and only emerged from 
the wintry gorges of Emigration Canon, on November 
10th, and caught a glimpse of the beautious Valley of 
the Lake, with the silvery Jordon winding through it 
from South to North, and the City of the Saints,’’ 
that looked like paradise to their weary eyes, lying far 
below them in the midst of leafless trees. The circle 
of mountains covered with glittering snow, formed a 
suitable frame for the dull autumnal landscape of the 
valley. 

The sun was setting in all his splendor beyond the 
great blue lake of brine, as the eniigrants hurriedly and 
merrily formed their last camp, regarding their perils 
and hardships as nothing now that the goal was reached, 
which seemed even more fair than their faith had pic- 
tured it. 

The next day broke bright and warm and an early 
start was made towards the attractive looking town, 
that some half ^spected would vanish du»*iing the 
night. On account of the wretched condition of the 
roads, it was evening when they reached the Emigra- 
tion Square,” a ten acre plot on the southern side of 
the town where the Mormon recruits camped on their 
arrival. Much of the illusion of the previous evening 
faded on a nearer approach, the frightful roads alone 
being sufficient to cause criticism and apprehension. 
The houses were small, poor-looking and much scat- 
tered ; the streets broad, deserted and overgrown with 
weeds and sunflowers, the dry stalks of which formed 
thickets about the square. The wagons sank to the 
axles in the mud, and the square itself, being located 
on low and marshy ground, presented few advantages 
as a place of encampment. 


HAGAR 


221 


Some of the emigrants were not required to spend 
that night in camp. Bishop there to receive 

his niece and take her to his home. The Mormon Presi- 
dent and his counsellors, together with other magnates, 
had come out to greet the company, and to give them 
a hearty welcome to the land of promise. 

Spencer’s mother, a kind and intelligent, but very fa- 
natical old lady, was at the square with one of her 
daughters, to meet the young missionary (whose praises 
had resounded throughout Zion during the past year, 
and they received Hagar most cordially, insisting that 
she must make her home with them for the present. 
Many of the emigrants were no less kindly dealt with 
by relatives, former acquaintances, or new-found 
friends, who now came forward to offer them such shel- 
ter and comfort as they could j)rovide. The entire com- 
pany were almost imperceptibly absorbed in a few days, 
some going to the country towns in the various parts of 
Utah according to the allotment made by the Mormon 
leaders, others finding employment in Salt Lake at their 
former trades, or being quartered on such brethren as 
were able to provide for them during the winter. Most 
of the young girls and widows had no difficulty in find- 
ing homes, and were soon made members in full stand- 
ing of the families into which they were received, by 
becoming the “ plural wives’^ of the brethren who gave 
them this timely shelter. 

It was only the year previous that Congress passed its 
first law against Mormon polygamy, and the practice 
was never in a more fioiirishing condition. 

The fact that there was a young American widow of 
good family and education among the newly arrived com- 
pany of emigrants was not slow in gaining general cur- 
rency, and Spencer was not only taken to task concern- 
ing her, by a certain young ^ lily of the valley’ to whom 
he had given more or less definite pledges before he went 
away, and by the young fellows in the neighborhood who 
knew that Hagar was domiciled at his father’s house ; 
but, when he went to Brigham Young’s office a few days 
later to report, that dignitary, after commending him 
in his fatherly way, and congratulating him on the suc- 
cess of Ms labors, rallied him upon the unsaintly deed 
he had committed in spiriting away the attractive Sister 


222 


IIAGAE. 


Miles whose praises had reached him from several 
sources. 

'' What do you say, Brother Edwin, asked the Mornion 
prophet, addressing in a good-natured way, a man with 
full dark beard whom Spencer had greeted on entering as 
Bishop Langley— “ Shall we cut him off for this contuma- 
cious conduct ? If the young elders go on in this way, 
the authorities will not be able to get any wives at all.’’ 

‘‘I don’t know about that. Brother Brigham,” the 
Bishop replied, but I was just telling Brother Heber 
when Brother Spencer came in, that I consider I have 
the first claim on the young widow, sister Miles, and for 
this reason : She’s come all the way from the Missouri 
in one of my wagons, and she’s lived on my bacon and 
meal nigh on to three months. Now brethren, including 
you, Brother Spencer, state your claims.” 

Though the conversation had turned on a mere jest, 
the Bishop spoke seriously, and both Brigham Young 
and his counsellor Heber C. Kimball, were greatly 
amused by his rejoinder. The prophet winked slyly at 
Kimball and Spencer, and then said : 

It strikes me, Brother Edwin, that you are a little 
out ill 3m ur reckoning, ^and for this reason,’” he con- 
tinued, quoting the Bishop, ^Hhat the pretty widow 
came all the way from the Missouri in a Church wagon, 
and has lived fully three months, and is still living on 
Church bacon and meal — for when you donate wagons, 
bacon, meal or anything else for the use of the Church, 
it belongs to the Church. I’ll leave that to Brother 
Heber ; and, therefore, as head of the Church and Chief 
of the emigration fund, I hold that the first choice falls 
to me. What do you say to that. Brother Heber ? ” 

Most emphatically correct — nothing more certain,” re- 
plied the prophet’s first Counsellor with a twinkle in his 
small brown eyes. He then passed his hand over his 
bald head, which was as round as a bullet, and contin- 
ued — ^‘‘But as I come in for a second choice and am so 
much better looking, I guess both jmu and the Bishop 
may as well give in. If the pretty widow wants money 
she’ll have Langley ; if she aspires to high station, of 
course she’ll take the president; but if she’s lookin’ for 
beauty, I’m her man.” 

This was merely a bit of characteristic by-play on the 


HAGAE. 


223 


part of Brother Hcber, it being a point of honor with 
liim to have his joke whenever occasion offered. He 
was a merry old soul, and often kept the prophet out of 
the blues by his funny sayings. 

“Well,” said Bishop Langley, stretching out his legs, 
and shoving his hands deep down into his trousers’ 
}>ockets — “ so far I’ve got the wind of you both, for I’ve 
seen her, and she’s just A 1, a little fagged and worn out 
by the trip, but all there, and as pretty as a peach. The 
first fine day I’m going around to take her for a sleigli 
ride and show her the town and the surrounding coun- 
try.” 

“ But you have not been introduced, have you. Brother 
Langley ? ” asked Si)encer, who was not over pleased by 
the remarks he had been listening to. 

“ Barely. I met her on the street with your sister.” 

“ My own belief is that she will remain a widow for 
some time to come. She is deeply grieved by her be- 
reavement, and nothing would shock her more at present 
than an offer of marriage, no matter who made it. Of 
this I am certain. But, of course, its no afiair of mine ; 
I only feel the same interest in her as in other members 
of my company.” 

The subject was presently dropped, and the prophet 
resumed his •official dignity, which quickly reduced the 
others to seriousness. 

With the setting in of winter, Hagar’s experiences be- 
gan in earnest. The mountains were a sealed barrier be- 
tween her and the world, and she was entirely' isolated in 
the stronghold of the Mormons. The snows Avere unusu- 
ally heavy in the higher passes, and for four months, 
communication with the civilized world was almost sus- 
pended. 

But withal, Hagar found the seclusion not unpleasant 
in her then state of mind, and soon became so much in- 
terested in the habits, practices, characters and beliefs 
of the people with whom her lot had been so strangely 
cast, that the time passed quickly. While remaining 
entirely free from the influence of their teachings, she 
observed closely evei'y j)hase of their life with which 
she came in contact. Her circle of acquaintance was 
gradually extended, and included before the end of win- 
ter, all the principal families in the Capital of Zion. 


224 


HAGAE. 


She became a regular and welcome visitor at the 
prophet’s house, which was but a short distance from her 
home, and gave music lessons to some of his girls, and 
to those of a few other families who had pianos. To 
them she seemed a brilliant musician, and her gentle 
manners together with her other attractive qualities, 
gained her many friends. 


CHAPTER XXIIL 


“ Lore never falls to master what he finds, 

But works a different way In different minds ; 

The fool enlightens and the wise he blinds.” 

—Dryden, 

After a few montlis in the Mormon Capital, under the 
most favorable circumstances for observation of their 
peculiar institutions, it must be admitted that Hagar 
was thinking much more of how and whither she might 
escape than of permanently linking lier fate with theirs. 

In the Spencer family she had been a favorite from 
the first. So far from being a burden she endeavored 
to repay them for shelter and food by assisting with the 
housework, and by plying the needle continually for 
some member of the household. But before she had 
been with them two months the scarlet fever broke out 
among the children, and she was induced by her friends 
to move temiJorarily to Bishop Langley’s house. 

The Bishop had been several times to call at the 
Spencer’s for the express purpose of seeing her, and 
had generously ofi'ered her a home on the condition that 
she would open an elementary school for the young 
children in his ward, especially some ten or twelve of his 
own, and teach one or two of his girls music ; as he had 
been urging for some time Hagar now decided to accept 
his offer. 

Bishop Langley’s house was at that time one of the 
best and most spacious in Salt Lake City. It was a 
plain quadrangular structure two stories high, with 
wings of one story added on three sides, and all built of 
sun-dried brick, or adobes. Three of his wives and their 
children dwelt in this mansion. It was comfortably 
furnished, time and place considered, and at least four 
rooms, the parlor and three bed-rooms, had carpets on 
the fioors. In the parlor, which was used in common by 
all, besides a variety of imported easy chairs and the 
inevitable ^ lounge, ’ stood a fine square piano that was 
brought from the East by the very train Avith which 




HAGAR 


Hagar crossed the plains. This was a mark of dis 
linction which was not then enjoyed by half a dozen 
families in Utah, and the Bishop’s sons and daughters, 
thirteen in this house, ranging in age from two months 
to eighteen years, m^de that piano a constant topic 
of boastful conversation among their envious play- 
fellows. 

The rooms were large and numerous and were divided 
into three distinct suites, the parlor and entrance hall 
being the only neutral ground. In each suite was a sit- 
ting-room dining-room, kitchen and several bed-rooms. 

Hagar had become accustomed to the etiquette of 
polygamy during her sojourn at the Spencers, where tw’o 
wives lived under the sajme roof and took their meals 
at the same table. She had there heard of the perfec- 
tion of Brother Langley’s domestic arrangements. Dur- 
ing her stay she had also discerned that the real Mi‘s. 
Spencer was a woman of considerable culture and talent, 
while the other was much her inferior, and looked upon 
di’udgery as her lot. The elder wife had acquainted 
Hagar with the fact that ^‘Sister Amanda,” as she 
called the other, had been given by her to her husband 
as Sarah had given Hagar, her handmaid, to Abraham, 
and the young girl, hearing so much of these Biblical 
comparisons became more and more ashamed of her 
own name and prayed devoutly that these people might 
never find it out. 

As soon as she made knowm her determination to ac- 
cept the Bishop’s hospitality on the terms he had named, 
he came for her in his handsome sleigh with bells jing- 
ling merrily, and moved her to his home which stood 
in the most pleasant part of the town. The house was 
surrounded by a grove of sweet locusts the bare branches 
of which were swarming with little broAvn snow birds 
that left the ground with whirring and chirping, and 
seemed to be gossiping about the Bishop and his com- 
panion as they dashed up the icy road to the frontdoor. 

The Bishop gallantly helped his visitor to alight and 
led her to the drawing room. iNobody met them at the 
door ; nobody was visible. 

“ I must present you to my wives. Sister Miles, ” he 
said, nervously. “Brother Brigham says I’m one of 
the best specimens of a patriarch of old, in the church. 


HAGAE. 


227 


I’ve got three wives and thirteen children in this house, 
and yet you could hear a pin drop. But you’ll soon see 
how it is. Ah I Sister Miles, allow me to introduce you 
to my wife, Sister Eliza, ” he said, as a pale and haggard 
looking woman, attired in a thi’eadbare alpaca dress, 
came into the room gazing awkwardly about, and 
stretching out her neck in a strange manner as she ex- 
tended her clammy hand to the visitor. 

“ How do ye do, ” said Sister Eliza in a ^igh pitched 
drawling voice, while eyeing Hagar from head to foot. 

So they’ve got scarlet fever at Sister Spencer’s, eh ? 
Well 1 alius said as they wa’n’t very healthy lookin’, an’ 
I don’t think they be. ” 

Hagar was trying to say something in rei)ly when the 
Bishop interrupted good naturedly : 

“ I was going to tell you that Sister Eliza, though an 
excellent woman, is a leetle bit deef — caused by the 
privations she went through coming out of Nauvoo in 
’4G. But she’s an own cousin of the Prophet Josepli, 
and a true latter-day saint. As the best spare room 
we’ve got is in her part of the house, you will malve 
3 0 ur home with her, and I’m sure you’U like her when 
you’re better acquainted.” Then laying his hand 
affectionately on his wife’s shoulder, and putting his 
lips close to the ear she turned towards him, Sister 
Miles,” he said, “ will be in presently ; just tell Sister 
Hulda to step here a moment.” 

But the Prophet’s cousin only looked puzzled and 
said “ Hey ? and he was obliged to lead her out and 
call ‘‘Hulda” himself. 

Hagar began to wonder how she was going to like her 
new home ; and however much she feared that it must 
possess unpleasant features, she rightly guessed that 
it possessed a novelty from which she might derive some 
benefit, since she had thrown oft‘ dread and timidity and 
adopted interest in their stead. 

After a brief pause during which she inspected the 
scanty contents of the parlor, the Bishop came back 
followed by a stout woman with very fat red hands and 
ruddy features, whom he introduced as “ Sister Hulda. ’’ 
She appeared to be about thirty, and had a very square 
head thinly covered with short, sandy hair. An un- 
saintly observer would have been more likely to have 


228 


HAGAR 


taken her for the family washerwoman, than for a belle 
of the Harem. She was, in fact, an ordinary saini)le of 
the Seal dinavian i:easants who join the Mormons, a plain, 
coarse, but good natured and tractable being, not only 
n,seful but indispensable in the settlement of a new 
country. Her redeeming point was that she lacked the 
boldness which Hagar had remarked in others resem- 
bling her ; her face was red with blushes, and she was 
palpably embarrassed. 

Sister Hulda merely said ^^good day’’ in a faint 
voice, and seemed glad to return to her kitchen work, 
in which Hagar ’s arrival had interrupted her. 

For a moment after her exit, the Bishop himself 
seemed rather confused. He had given ^notice to 

Sister Amelia, ” of his arrival, but she had not yet 
appeared, and he foresaw trouble in that quartei*. 
After making a few commonplace remarks to fill in 
the time, he said : — 

^‘Well, Sister Amelia is certainly detained. I must 
see what keeps her, if you will kindly excuse me a 
moment. ” 

Hagar was interested in her experience, and surveyed 
the room complacently during her host’s absence. 

The Bishop found Sister Amelia in her bed-room in 
a hostile frame of mind. 

No, Edwin, I won’t. I sha’n’t come down, ” she said 
emphatically, in the midst of her tears. “It is very 
cruel of you to bring that strange widow here — she’s 
been the talk ever since she came to the ^'alley. And 
then for you, after telling me, as you did the otiier day, 
that she ' reminded you of an old sweet-heart, ’ to fetch 
her into the house and ask me to receive her ! I say it's 
very cruel : — and I sha’n’t do it, no, never. ” 

It was quite evident that Sister Amelia was not as 
meek as the partners of the Bishop’s joys to whom 
Hagar Lad been introduced. Her mode of objecting 
was rather persuasive than declaratory, but none the 
less effective on that account; indeed, the Bishop 
thought it more so, as he could readily overcome pro- 
nounced obstreperousness, but was balked by Sister 
Amelia’s tearful tactics. 

In spite of all his arts he could not induce her to 
come down to welcome his guest. So long as he merely 


HAGAE. 


229 


urge<l her in a kindly voice and by friendly arguments 
she kept rei^eating that she knew very well what it 
would come to, and that she could not have believed 
her dear Edwin would be so cruel to her. Though the 
Bishop had three other wives at the farm, a few miles 
from the city, nothing that he said concerning his dis- 
interested motives could convince Sister Amelia that 
he had not formed a nice little scheme for adding the 
‘‘ strange widow ” as Xo. 7 to his already moderately 
numerous family. At last he became angry, with the 
usual result that Sister Amelia fell into a speecliless 
sulk, and became as immovable as if she had grown to 
the spot where she sat. As he was taking his leave 
after mumbling something about her having a temper 
like a mule, she said between her sobs : 

“ Don't 3 'ou remember that you promised never to take 
another wife if 1 would have you? We are not two 
years married, and yet 

^^iNever mind,’’ said the Bishop, angi*ily, ^‘your bad 
conduct and jealousy have long since absolved me from 
that promise, and I am now free to do as I please. You 
needn’t expect me to get over your stubborn dis- 
obedience for some time I” She called to him as he 
went out, but he shut the door with emphasis, and de- 
scended to the parlor where Hagar was beginning to feel 
impatient. 

I guess you’ll have to excuse Sister Amelia to-day, 
but of course you’ll meet later on. She has been rather 
spoilt by the rest of us, especially by Hulda ; but she’s 
a nice girl and has a lirst-rate education — plays the 
piano too— not so well as you do, but right well, con- 
sidering. You’ll like her, I think, and as she’s a strong 
<lislike to house-work, 1 want to have her help you in the 
school.” 

He moved about restlessly as he spoke, but finally 
took a chair facing Hagar, leaned back with his hands 
clasped over his head, and continued:— 

Well, Sister Miles, what do you think of the great 
Latter-day work by this time?” 

Many of the Saints had asked her the same question, 
and this was not the first time the Bishop had broached 
the subject ; she was not, therefore, wholly unprepared 
to rej)ly. 


230 


HAGAR. 


I am much impressed with all I have seen ; but, you 
know, I have only been here about two months. It is 
certainly wonderful to see what the Saints have done in 
a perfectly wild country in fifteen years, it proves that 
(lod has blessed them,’^ she said earnestly. 

You are quite right, quite right, but how do you like 
the institution of celestial or plural marriage? C>f 
course, as you have not yet received the gift of the 
holy ghost, you will not understand its awful mysteries 
— ^but, I mean simply regarding it with worldly eyes, 
as yet only partly opened by the first reception of the 
gospel ? 

fear,’’ said Hagar, after a momentary hesitation, 

that I am not yet prepared to answer as to that.” 

“But, for yourself ; you can tell whether your faith 
is sufficiently strong to warrant you, to enable you, to 
enter the celestial estate.” 

“You forget, Bishop Langley,” she said, sadly, with 
her eyes cast down, “that being so lately bereaved, I 
could not think of — of marriage.” 

“Oh! forgive me,” he replied, lowering his voice, 
and speaking apologetically. “ I was over-zealous ; 
the fact is we see very few women here like you. Sister 
Miles, and as for myself, I know how to appreciate a 
fine woman. You might not think it, but it’s quite true, 
that my family, the Langleys of Ohio, is one of the high- 
est-toned families in the West. Of course they’re down 
on me for joining the Saints, but as I expect to repay 
their spite by aiding in their final salvation in the woi Id 
to come, I don’t much mind what they think of me now. 
I’m only forty-three, pretty well off, and I expect to 
be at the head of the church some day (this, in confi- 
dence, of course.) I don’t suppose I’m quite perfect, but 
you can ask my wives, and see for yourself what kind of 
a man I am. When you learn how this house is managed, 
I want to take you out to my farm ; its a sight worth 
seeing in summer : all my little tow-heads helping with 
the crops, and picking mulberry leaves for the silk- 
worms. I sent twenty bushels of cocoons East last 
year.” 

The Bishop continued in this strain for some time, 
making his companion fully conversant with all the 
details he wished her to know at that period, about 


HAGAR. 


231 


himself and his worldly affairs. She was then resigned 
to the care of Sister Eliza, in whose house she was to 
reside. 

Hagar evinced considerable tact in her singular posi- 
tion ; she made a success of the school, and not only 
became a great favorite among the forty odd children 
who were placed under her care, but also won the friend- 
ship of Amelia, who was far from being a disagreeable 
companion. While the first Mrs. Langley was endeav- 
oring to coach her for the celestial bliss of polygamy, 
with all the eloquence and credplity of a ‘‘ cousin of 
the prophet,’’ Amelia was giving her a version of the 
matter much more in keeping with her own preconceived 
opinions. She was really becoming quite contented 
in the consciousness that she was making her OTvm way 
successfully', when an incident occurred which startled 
her from her sense of security. 

The school house was a small adobe building of one 
room that had been Hulda’s residence in early days, 
before the present mansion was built. It was in a lot ad- 
joining the mansion, but was almost concealed (entirely 
so in summer) by the orchard that lay between. 

Spencer had called a few times at the Bishop’s house 
to see “ Sister Miles” but had been coldly received, and 
at last was told flatly by the Bishop, who on each occa- 
sion had met him in the hall, that he was not a welcome 
visitor. He at first thought of asMng Hagar as to that ; 
but on reflection decided to ask her simply if he might 
call now and then to have a word with her at the school- 
house, as he believed the Langleys, especially the 
Bishop, did not like him. She granted him permission 
and he called once or twice during the afternoon recess, 
which lasted from three to half past, and enjoyed a 
friendly chat with her while the children Avere at play. 
One of Bishop Langley’s boys told him of these visits ; 
he was A'^ery angry and at once concluded that Hagar, 
Avhile having put him off on the plea of bereavement was 
giving a more favorable hearing to the young Elder. A 
crisis in Hagar’s Mormon experience, was draAving near. 

“Ed. Langley,” as the bishop had been familiarly 
called by the “ prophet,” and the Elders with whom he 
had associated in early days, was not a man to be trifled 
Avith. He had already gained a reputation as a danger- 


232 


HAGAR. 


ous rival in his pursuit of Amelia, that was sufficient to 
prevent those acquainted with him from entering the 
lists against him when female charms were the prize. 
The Spencers and others considered that they might 
as well change Sister Miles’ name to Langley from the 
moment she entered the Lishop’s house, for it never oc- 
curred to them that any woman in the world would be 
such a fool as to refuse a man so rich and handsome, and 
one who stood so well with Brigham Young. 

The immediate neighbors, and even the school chil- 
dren already addressed Hagar, by accident, of course, as 
‘‘ Sister Langley,’’ and yet it had never seriously oc- 
curred to her that the Bishop would be an applicant for 
her hand. 

On the evening of the day that the Bishop learned of 
Spencer’s visits, he determined to speak plainly to Sis- 
ter Miles concerning his intentions. But Amelia was 
watching him as she had done ever since Hagar had 
been a resiident with “ Sister Eliza.” She had thus far 
prevented any tete-a-tete in tliat part of the house which 
would give her “ dear Edwin” an opportunity of mak- 
ing love to one wiio would probably supplant her in the 
rank of favorite. Hulda and lier (diildren had been aid- 
ing her in her artful plans. Her custom was to give 
Hagar a pressing invitation to (ome to supper with her, 
and at about nine o’clock to go with her to th e door of her 
own apartment after she said “ good night’’ to the Bish- 
op. Langley noted the cunning thus displayed by his lat- 
est and youngest wife, but his desire to [ ossess the ^ pret- 
ty widow ’ became stronger eveiy day. He finally found 
it difficult to delay his declaration. Amelia was a good 
hmking young woman, possessing ])ersonal attrac- 
tions far above the average of the I^Iorinon women ; 
at their balls and other festivities she had always 
been an acknowledged belle for whose hand Brig- 
ham Young himself was at one time a candidate. 
But the Bishop being an earnest Saint, was no 
doubt anxious to show his zeal for '^building np 
the Kingdom,’ and was at this time manifesting such 
symptoms of restlessness and precipitation, as are usu- 
ally supposed to characterize a lover in pursuit of an ob- 
ject not yet possessed. Amelia was evidently eclipsed, 
and to the Bishop’s mind was sinking deeper and deeper 


HAGAK. 


233 


into the shade, while the young widow was not only daz- 
zling his fancy, but tearing at his heart’s strings. He 
must see her that night in spite of Amelia’s caprices 
and all other considerations, and before she came home 
from calling at the Spencer’s, after school, he had every- 
thing arranged to facilitate a lengthy interview. 

Amelia was very fond of the theatre ; much more fond, 
indeed, than had hitherto been agreeable to her spouse. 
The local company, which was composed of leading 
young elders and good Mormon maids and matrons of 
more or less talent, were giving that night a sec- 
ond performance of Macbeth at the church Thea- 
tre, with the Tabernacle choir as the witches, a 
subsequent apostle as Hecate, and a pet of the 
President’s as the aspiring thane. Thither the Bishop 
proposed to conduct Amelia, much to her satisfaction. 
Meanwhile “ Sister Eliza” was duly instructed to intorni 
her lodger that the Bisliop wished to speak with her, 
and to detain her in iier sitting-room until he arrived. 

The ruse fully met his exi)ectations : Amelia was 
duly ensconced in a cushioned seat in the pai quette be- 
side one of Hnlda’s boys; the Bishop was conveniently 
reminded by one of the brethren of an important 
“ priesthood meeting,” and reluctantly tore himself 
away from his darling's side, and returne I home as fast 
as a good horse hitched to a light sleigh could take him. 

Though he had taken off the bells and driven quietly' 
into the barnyard, which was some oistance fi*om the 
house, his return was i>romptly known to Hiilda. Her 
chief news-bearer was at the theatre, but lier son 

Billy,” a roguish little blonde of ten years, was used to 
aiding his elder brother in all sorts of domestic conspii’a- 
cies, and was delighted with the opportunity to act alone. 
He was in his stocking feet romping with the other 
small children in Hulda’s sitting room preparatory to 
going to bed, but was prompt to station himself at the 
head of the stairs at his mother’s bidding, whence he 
could reconnoitre the entrance hall below, and the dof)^ 
to Sister Eliza’s ” apartment which opened off the hall 
to the right of the front door. The play of the children 
svent on ^without interruption, and the Bishop, as he 
paused on the threshold, never felt more tolerant of 
their boisterousness. He was v\'ell aware that Hulda 


234 


HAOAB. 


was no less opposed than Amelia, to his having any 
more wives, and was very anxious to keep them both in 
ignorance of his present affair until he had arranged 
the retails. 

He stepped inside and closed the door softly ; threw 
off his over-coat which was covered with snow, brushed 
the icy Hakes from his beard, and completed his prep- 
arations by taking off his lieav}^ boots, and putting on a 
pair of warm red carpet slippers that were kept on a 
chair behind the door. Then, supposing the coast to be 
clear, he stei^ped lightly to the door of Sister Eliza’s 
sitting room, and entered without delay. 

Billy went back and told his mother, who was fully 
conscious that the Bishop’s unwonted ( evotion was be- 
stowed on the “ pretty widow,” for he had not been 
known to seek a tete-a-tete with Eliza for several years. 
When the other children were out of hearing she said 
to Billy : 

“ Your father’s going to marry the school-ma’am, Billy, 
so you can just ytlay any trick on him you like — only be 
careful you’re not caught.” Then she continued to her- 
self— I’ll tell Amelia of this : there’s just no use of 
talkin’ — Edwin never knows when to stop ! ” 


CHAPTER XXIV. 


Billj was not the boy to obtain a license to do mis- 
(;hief without availing himself of its privileges. Like 
most of the Bishop’s children he regarded his father 
with a distant awe not altogether unmixed with dislike, 
and though he had once been convicted of putting a 
toad in the pocket of the prelate’s overcoat, for which 
he was severely punished, and on another occasion im- 
plicated with an older brother in mixing some coarse 
grains of gun-powder among the old gentleman’s smok- 
ing tobacco, from which charge he escaped with a scold- 
ing, he was always ready for a lark, especially if his 
mother put him up to it, and torture could not have in- 
duced him to inculpate that parent. 

In a Mormon family the boys of each wife frequently 
regard her as their especial charge, whom they are to 
defend from the other women and from the leige lord 
of all. The children are boutnd to hear and to notice 
the complaints and griefs of their mother no matter 
how quietly or resignedly they are borne, and Hulda 
had a candid way of telling her children what she 
thought, which had the effect of stripping the Bishop 
of much of his majesty in their sight. Beyond their 
shy “ yes sir,” and no sir,” when he spoke to them, 
there was nothing they could say to him, for he showed 
them no fatherly affection that would draw them to 
him and make them feel they had a place in his heart. 
So long as they had plain food and clothes and a place 
to sleep, he thought he fulfilled his duty towards 
them ; and for the rest, they were as strangers. 

Billy slipped down the stairs as stealthily as a cat, 
and after listening a moment at Eliza’s door, and satis- 
fying himself the Bishop was engaged in conversation, 
he stood looking at his coat, hat, and boots, thinking 
what most troublesome sport he could indulge in. As 
if waiting for a better idea he took one of the boots and 
set it to catch a stream of water that was trickling down 
from the snow on the coat. He watched it drip for 


230 


HAG^VB. 


a few seconds, and then, placing the other boot over a 
small puddle that had formed on the floor, suddenly be- 
gan to shake with laughter, and made a most hideous 
grimace in his endeavor to keep from laughing aloud. 

He knew that his father must return to the theatre 
with the sleigh to bring Amelia home, and it had occur- 
red to him that he might render that enterjirize ex- 
tremely troublesome, by simply hiding the key of the 
barn-yard gate. He no sooner thought of it than he 
gave an amused look towards the boots congratulating 
himself that they would keep the floor from getting 
wet, and went up the stairs almost bursting with mer- 
riment. Quickly putting on his shoes he hurried out 
by a back door, assured himself that the heavy gates 
were locked, and tfien took the key from the peg on 
which it was kex)t in the stable and hid it near by. He 
soon after crept upstairs to bed without saying a word 
to his mother, though he found a piece of bread and 
molasses lying on the table as the reward of his inge- 
nuity. 

Though the Bishop could hardly be accused of over- 
sensibility, it was some little time before he could bring 
himself to speak to Hagar on the subject that was 
troubling him. Sister Eliza sat by the Are, knitting, 
and api)arently oblivious of Edwin’s purpose, though 
she was as fully aware of it as himself. Hagar was 
sewing, but for some unknown reason felt rather un- 
easy. She noted that the Bishop spoke in a lower voice 
than usual, and that he seemed to have come to spend 
the evening, a thing he had not previously done since 
she came to his house. 

tYhen she had answered his queries about the school, 
she got up with the intention of withdrawing to her own 
chamber; but he told her plainly he had come to talk 
with her and begged her to remain. She resumed her 
seat with the unpleasant consciousness that she was 
his only auditor for Eliza’s “deefness” prevented her 
from hearing a word he said. 

“Its something more important than schools. Sister 
Miles, that’s brought me here this evening,” he began, 
with considerably more embarrassment than usually 
characterized his matter-of-fac-t si)eech. Hagar was 
slightly discomposed by this, but vent on Avith her 


HAGAR 


237 


work, hoping it might not lead to the subject foreshad- 
owed by her fears. He continued after a pause : 

“ Its nothing short of the eternal welfare of your soul 
as well as my own. I’m in solemn earnest, and I hope 
you’ll give me a fair hearing.’’ There w^as a slight 
tremor in his voice, and he moved nervously on his chair. 

“I hope,” said Hagar, “that I have always listened 
attentively when you spoke to me about religion.” 

“ Passably, Sister, only passably. You have not em- 
braced the full meaning of the everlasting covenant — 
you have not tasted of the sweet mysteries of the En- 
dowment House. You cannot know the Celestial 
state until you enter the Celestial life, and you not only 
keep aloof yourself, but I am sorry to say that you sort 
with others Avhose fidelity is not above susi)icion.‘'‘ 

Hagar felt her face grow pale ; but the Bisl^op jiid 
not look at her. Keeping his eyes turned towards the 
hearth, he went on : 

“I know nothing about this young Spencer except 
tiiat he is a ])auper, and the slight standing he has 
obtained in the priesthood will not avail to make the 
house of Israel a pleasant place for him if he persists 
in his present course. He is criticising things here in 
Zion, and giving too loud a vent to what he thinks. It 
may cost him dear.” 

“You know that it was he wdio saved our train from 
the Indians ? ” said Hagar, taking advantage of a pause. 

“I heard the tale — but it’s nothing more: — the 
explosion that saved the train was a thunderbolt. Many 
of the saints saw it fall from the clouds upon the stock- 
ade. Surely he has not made you believe that yarn 
about the buke-kettle ? ” said Langley, wdth a sneer. 

“ Yes, I believe it, because he came to me in the dark- 
ness that night, and said he was going to blow up the 
savages. I know also that he exposed his 6wn life to 
great peril when he approached that fort, and he told 
me the details of how he threw the improvised bomb- 
shell among them.” 

“And you like him, then, because you think he is a 
great hero ? And do you want to marry a man on that 
account without asking wdiether he can keep you or 
not ? ” 

“No; Bishop Langley, I do not mean to marry at all,” 


238 


HAGAR. 


she replied firmly. But I thought you icame to talk 
to me about the eternal welfare of my soul?” 

“ So I have. There is no welfare for a woman’s soul un- 
less she marries — ^marries in the everlasting covenant. 
You must fully realize this fact before I can tell you all I 
liave to say. Woman’s soul must be saved by her hus- 
band through the holy covenaut of celestial marriage ; 
Miere’s no other way, as you must know if you have 
learned the alphabet of the gospel of the last days. I 
can save and exalt you. By your sharing my kingdom 
in the heavens, 1 can obtain for you a bright immortal 
crown, and you will become a queen of the highest glory 
and exaltation, the dazzling star of my celestial bliss — ” 

“ Do you believe all that, Bisho]) Langley ? ” The 
Bishop was reiterating with a more or less gen- 
uine enthusiasm, some of the pjuotechnical imagery 
of the ‘‘ prophet Joseph ” whom he had often heard 
dilating in a similar style for hours at a time. But Hagar 
was already fully acquainted with that portion of the 
Mormon doctrine, the elder Mrs. Spencer having es- 
])ecially pointed out its beauties to her. Her question 
mther staggered him, coming as it did during a momen- 
tary pause in his most elfective sijeech ; but he replied 
after a slight hesitation : 

Maybe that’s the trouble — I believe it and you don’t ? 
Is that so ? You don’t believe that Celestial marriage 
is a true doctrine ? ” The Bishop spoke in a tone which 
seemed to indicate a suspicion that he had been taking 
too much for granted. 

‘^So far as I have seen,” said Hagar, quietly, ^^mar- 
riages seem about as much of a terrestrial affair among 
the saints as anywhere else. Your wives work for you 
and stay at home to attend the house and the children. 
I may appear narrow, but I can discern nothing celes- 
tial in the lot of woman hei’e among the saints — they are 
mere drudges like other women but unlike their poor 
sisters in other communities, have not the undivided 
love and devotion of a husband to comfort them in the 
midst of their hardships — 

Hagar knew that while she had made her meaning but 
partially clear, she had made what was rather a ven- 
turesome speech in the ears of a Mormon bishop. But 
she was determined to venture so much if only to see 
what would come of it. 


HAGAR. 


239 


^‘Tlie celestial life,’’ replied the Mormon, deliberately, 

is as the word implies, to begin in the celestial world. 
We are only preiiariiig for it here. Every true latter- 
day saint will be the King over a separate world, and 
the family of his otf spring here will form the ground- 
work of his Kingdom there. The spirit world is full of 
spirits that are wailing for earthly tabernacles j but 
the select of these can only be accommodated by bodies 
that are formed under the celestial covenant. The mys- 
tery of this great doctrine requires more time than I 
have at my disposal now, for proper explanation. But 
you have listened to the discourses of the prophets and 
apostles of these latter-da^^s, and you, Sister, surely 
have not come to Zion with the deliberate piu'pose of 
shunning all the blessings and privileges they have 
promised you ? ” 

Hagar was uncertain how to reply and hesitated so 
long that the Bishop was beginning to think she could 
not answer him. She had seen a good deal of her host, 
and had formed a clear judgment as to his character, 
to the effect that he was not a man of high principle 
even according to his own code* That was why she 
brought forward the question of belief. And now she 
was thinking of two other points in the same connection, 
the first was his promise to Amelia that he would marry 
no more wives, and the other, the new law of Congress 
prohibiting polygamy. She had no desire either to dis- 
please him or to render him her enemy, for she knew he 
was venomous towards those he disliked, and she wished 
to ask him some day to assist her to get away from 
Zion. 

“Surely,” he continued, with a certain satisfaction 
that she did not reply at once, it ought to be our high- 
est pleasure to seize the benefits extended to us by the 
Gospel.” 

“ That is doubtless true. Bishop Langley, ” said Hagar, 
dropping her work in her lap and raising her pensive 
eyes towards him, but there are two difficulties in con- 
nection with what you have been saying, which T would 
thank you to explain. I have heard a great deal about 
the law that Congress recently passed forbidding any 
further practice of plural marriage — ” 

Yes, ” he said, interrupting her impatiently. ^^But 


240 


HAGAB. 


that’s an unconstitutional law ; Confess has no right 
to interfere with our religious practices. That’s wnat 
has caused the great war that is now ruining the country 
and that has divided it into two nations. Congress 
wanted to interfei-e with the constitutional rights of 
the South, to deny them the rights of property guaran- 
teed to them by the founders of the Government; but 
you see the South is powerful, and will not submit to 
tne wrong. It is true that we cannot now resist by 
force ; but we can go on j^racticing celestial marriage 
in spite of their unjust laws. Our law is from God, 
and we shall not ask human law-makers if we may fol- 
low it. 

‘‘When the South establishes its independence, we 
shall become a member of that confederacy which is 
now shaking the corrupt Union to its center. The South 
will recognize that the Bible which shows slavery to be 
a divine institution, also shows plural marriage in the 
same light, and we shall triumph when the Union 
which seeks to oppress, and has so long persecuted us, 
is shattered all to pieces I ” 

The Bishop spoke with vehemence towards the last, 
and sawed the air with his arms as if he were address- 
ing a ward meeting. 

“ You think, then, that the Hebels will conquer ? 
Hagar asked with a pathetic anxiety in her voice. 

“ The Southerners ? yes, they will conquer. You 
should not say Eebels. People are uot rebels when they 
light for their rights. Oh, yes, they will conquer ; the 
Union armies can never recover from their recent dis- 
asters ; the North is discouraged, indeed there is every 
reason to believe that before this, a treaty of peace has 
been signed granting the South a separate existence, and 
indemnity for the cruel injury done her. ” 

Hagar felt like uttering a cry of pain ; but she con- 
trolled her feelings and resumed her work, listening as 
he went on : 

“ God is on the side of the South, because he is on 
ours, and our prayers go up to him in their behalf. The 
Constitution was inspired by God, and granted 
religious freedom no less plainly and unequivocally 
than it legalized the sacred institution of slavery. ” 

Hagar had heard many of the saints make remarks 


HAGAR. 


241 


intimating that their sympathies leaned toT/ards the 
cause of the South, but she had not known for certain 
that the Mormon Church placed so much reliance on the 
success of the Confederacy. The discovery of that fact 
in connection with so much else that was disagreeable 
added to her anxiety, and she was unable to see her way 
out of a decidedly uncomfortable dilemma. Why had 
she ever been so foolish as to come to Utah ? 

The Bishop looked at her a moment as if expecting 
her to say something, but she plied her needle in silence, 
devoutly hoping that he would soon withdraw. Pres- 
ently he moved his chair a little nearer, and leaning 
towards her, said entreatingiy : 

“But what are the other difficulties, dear Sister ?” 

“I have heard that you made a promise to Sister 
Amelia when you married her two years ago, that you 
would never take another wife. They said at the 
Spencer’s that she would not marry you until you did 
so. ” 

“ That was simply a temporary matter to please her 
vanity. I never meant it seriously, and she knew very 
well that my religion would not permit me to make any 
such foolish pledge. Perhaps, so far as I am personally 
(concerned, I might prefer to have only one wife ; but w^e 
must obey the Lord’s law^s, not make laws unto our- 
selves where we have His to guide us. If God requires 
me to take another wife I am at once absolved from a 
promise like that, and Amelia herself would be tlie first 
to admit it.” 

There was an almost irresistible desire in Hagar’s 
mind to ask him how he became so conveniently aware of 
the requirements of the Divinity with relation to such 
minor details of his life ; but she had become accustomed 
to that species of cant, and now felt a loathing for the 
hypocrite before her, whom she believed to be as insin- 
cere to his supposed religion as he was false in his pri- 
vate life. 

Hagar had been conscious from the first that Amelia 
regarded her as a possible rival, and that she had ex- 
hausted every artifice in trying tf) prevent the Bishop 
from seeing her alone. She knew also that he had ob- 
tained the present interview through a cunning trick. 
But she could not lose sight of the fact that her situa- 


242 


HAGiVR 


tion demanded prudence. She therefore determined 
that whatever he might say she would neither speak a 
rash word nor give him a decisive answer at present. 
While she had made no strong professious of religion, 
nor entered into any of the ^ mysteries ’ she was taught 
tb regard as a necessity, she had been careful not to de- 
fine her attitude ; but tried to coutent herself with doing 
her present duty, and leaving the f uture to Providence, 
for whose help she humbly prayed. 

‘‘ I think you are mistaken about Sister Amelia. She 
will not consent to your taking another wife.’^ 

As Hagar spoke the Bishop seemed to devour her witli 
his eyes. He rose and almost sprang towards her in his 
eagerness. Grasping her hand passionately, he ex- 
claimed with a kind of fiendish rapture : 

Are you so sure of that, deat Sister, that you will 
agi'ee to say ^ 3'es ’ if she does ? 

His look had chilled her, but his touch seemed to 
create a horrid sickness in her heart — a nauseous dis- 
gust that made her shudder. She could not speak. 
He held her hand fast and went on: 

Only pronounce that little word and make me the 
happiest man on earth. For I love you — have loved 
you from the moment I first saw 3'ou. I have never 
felt towards any woman as I do towards you — ^>"ou have 
inspired me with a kind of infatuation never before 
known to my heart. My tongue’s loose, now, and I must 
tell you all. You ai*e my sunlight, the air I breathe, the 
hope that makes me love life. God has sent you to me 
to crown with bliss what I have done for duty. You are 
mine by right, by the very gift of Heaven P’ He spoke 
rapidly, but in a subdued tone. Sister Eliza must have 
caught the sound of his voice, however, for she turned 
round and took a sly glance over her spectacles, then 
indulged in a pinch of snuff, and resumed her knitting. 
She was soothed by the pleasant conviction that Edwin 
was teaching her young guest some of the mysteries of 
the latter day gospel. 

Hagar drew away her hand as soon as she could with- 
out exhibiting too much of her real feelings towards her 
polygamous suitor. 

You doubt that Amelia will agree ? Why, she will 
come to you and plead my cause if I ask her to. You 


HAGAR. 


243 


do not answer, Sister.” Hagar had resumed her seat, 
and he had stepped back a pace or two well aware that 
he had met with a check though there was no marked 
outward token of it. 

hen she felt that she could speak without betraying 
the anger she was keeping back, Hagar replied, while 
looking at him calmly ; 

am too selfish, and jealous, to occupy the position 
of a plural wife. Besides, Bishop Langley, I am in no 
way suited for the honor you ofi'er me, of becoming your 
seventh wife, and 1 trust you will let the matter rest 
where it is. ^^dlat you propose is impossible.” 

One moment. Do you realize that you are rejecting 
the man who worships you ? ” He spoke in a soft, plead- 
ing voice. Hagar was more startled than she would 
have been if he had begun to threaten her. “ I do not 
believe,” he continued earnestly, “that you are suited 
to be a polygamous wife. You would be my only one, in 
all except the fulfillment of my religious duties to the 
rest, You shall be my only wife. I am rich, I will pen- 
sion off the others, provide for them and their children, 
and live alone for you. I never loved a woman till I saw 
you, and I believed I never should. But 1 deceived m.v- 
self — ^it has come at last — it devours my heart — it seems 
to take posession of my soul ; and 3 011 , you, dear Sister, 
are the cause — ” The clock in a large wooden case on 
the mantel struck eleven, and a new agitation began to 
disturb the Bishop’s mind. He must go to the theatre at 
once with the sleigh to bring Amelia home. 

Sister Eliza also noted the time and said : 

“If yer go in’ to fetch ’Meelie, Edwin, ye’d better be 
startin ; the theayter must be nearl^^ out, I guess. ” 

Hagar would have been glad to thank Sister Eliza 
for that speech. 

“Yes,” replied the Bishop, “that is true. But we 
can resume our conversation at another time. Sister 
Miles. I will say good night ; and ma^^ I not trust that we 
shall understand each other?” 

“ Good night : I hope we ma^", ” Hagar rejoined. 

Immediately after his exit she went to her chamber, 
where she fell on her knees at the bedside and wept 
as she had not done for some time. 

The hall-lamp had been turned low and was burning 


HAGAR. 


i?44 

dimly, giving the Bishop a decidedly crestfallen ap- 
]/earaiice as he seated himself near the hat-rack and 
took off his blood-r-d slippers. He pulled on the left 
boot with some difficulty, and ejaculated a phrase or 
tvv^o which would have been very like profanity coming 
from any other than a Bishop, when his foot came in 
contact v/ith the water at the bottom. Seizing the 
other he turned it up and poured its liquid contents 
on the floor, blaming himself for liis stupidity in pla- 
cing them where they would catch the melting snow 
from his coat. That came from falling in love ! Quite 
twenty minutes were lost in procuring a dry pair of 
socks and boots, as he was not certain in which wife’s 
apartment he could lay his hands on them. But he 
was presently ready, and hurried to the barn where 
the man had the sleigh in waiting. 

“ Did you put the gate-key in your pocket, sir ? ’’ asked 
the man. 

^^No,” the Bishop answered, sourly, “I hung it in 
its proper place.” 

Well, its not there, sir.” 

Find it they could not. And after spending nearly 
half an hour in the fruitless search several minutes were 
next consumed in finding a bar to pry out the staples. 
It was after midnight when the Bishop drove up to the 
theatre to find it in darkness. 

As Amelia was not waiting in the portico he concluded 
she had walked home so he drove there witli all haste. 
Edwin junior, who had been Avith her at the theatre, 
had reached home and was foraging in his mother’s 
larder for something to eat. He said that Amelia had 
gone to pass the night with Miss Spencer as she could n’t 
walk through the snow, and that she was terribl}" riled 
about that priesthood meeting. 


CHAPTER XXV. 


Charles Spencer’s views concerning the glories of 
Zion had undergone a remarkable evolution in the few 
months since his return. The ideal of a boy’s ignorance 
^vas giving place to the real of a man’s experience. 
Contact with the outer world, while it had taxed his 
endurance, had also clarified his vision. Upon subjects 
of which he had formerly thought nothing he now be- 
came severely critical, and the ‘ Kingdom of God,’ be- 
gan to assume the aspect of a small trading mart. He 
perceived that the apostles and elders had secured to 
themselves the time-honored privileges that belonged 
to the priests of Baal and a long line of their success- 
ors ; that Brigham Young had become a nabob and a 
despot, and that on the little scene of Mormondom was 
being played a new version of what a scoffer in Ohio 
had called the Gospel game. 

Despite Bishop Langlej^’s open antagonism and se- 
cret enmity, Spencer succeeded in meeting Hagar from 
time to time, and he thought he was more benefitted and 
impressed by his brief communion with her than by 
the canny wisdom of the prophets as delivered in the 
Tabernacle. If he had been of the kind to be flattered 
into submission the spirit of revolt that was rising in 
him would surely have been checked, for, even after he 
had given unmistakable evidence of defection of which 
Brigham Young was fully informed, the President in- 
trusted him with weighty confidences, and even invited 
him to ‘bear testimony’ before the assembled people. 
He was willing to parley with the young malcontent 
v.hile a hope of retaining him in the church harness 
remained; for he saw that Spencer’s course was unde- 
fined, while he miscalculated the force of his character 
a,nd the depth of his discontent. It was the prophet’s 
custom to condone symptoms of rebellion so long as 
they were not made visibly manifest; and thus a prac- 
ticed hypocrite might count upon his favor, while an 
honest man who dared to differ and to tell him so, was 
quickly consigned to the rack of his scoru. 


HAGAB. 




Haunted by the image of Hagar, goaded by his sense 
of poverty and dependence, and conscious that he was 
growing more and more out of touch with the priesthood 
and his church, Spencer was far from happy. He 
was pathetically warned by his mother to beware of 
the deceit and cmft of the devil, but the gloomy, vacil- 
lating and meditative mood which now became habit- 
ual to him, enabled him to discern only the craft and de- 
ceit of the priesthood. He saw the tithing of thepeo- 
jde pouring in. It was marvellous in volume and in the 
regularity of its current. Into the great maw of Bel 
went the produce of the land and the priests were 
there v ith their baskets to catch all that the Dragon 
could not dispose of. The magnates built great 
houses, surrounded themselves with high walls, and 
lived in luxury, waited upon by foreign menials. They 
drew a bounteous sustenance from the busy hive they 
held under tribute, while the toilers themselves 
dwelt patiently in the small log cabin or the adobe 
cottage, and won their daily bread by rugged conflict 
with the earth. 

Before he went away and during his absence, if he had 
thought at all about these things, it was merely to re- 
gard them in the common way, as essential conditions to 
the building up of “ the Kingdom.’’ But he now said ; 

“ Alas ! The Kingdom is a despotism. We take the 
name of ^ Israel ’ and go to work to realize the picture ; 
set up a Solomon without his wisdom, and the teniples, 
j-alaces, concubines and oppression naturally follow. 

hat is common to all sj^stems, the aggrandizement of 
the few at the cost of the many, was the condition we 
were to escape, but is the one most vital here. ” 

He regarded with keen distaste the hereditary possi- 
bilities he knew to be his own : high Sacerdotal rank, 
and a hand at the money bags of Israel. He had seen 
sons and grandsons succeed their sires in civil and re- 
ligious offices, and knew that the hierarchy of Church 
and State which was one and inseparable, had ado])ted 
this effete principle solely for the promotion of its own 
ends whether good or bad. He deliberately made up 
his mind never to become a pensioner on such a system. 

But, for the present, whatever might be his ultimate 
decision, he must play the part of time server. His 


HAGAE. 


247 


sympathy was still with the cause of his people, but his 
reason said that their lot could not be his. 

He had not been able to approach Hagar as to the 
subject that outweighed all others in his reflections ; 
but his attentions to her had already excited gossip, 
and he knew that if he openly declared his discontent 
she would be branded as a cause of it and placed in 
great peril. It was for her sake and not his own that he 
chose the prudent course, though, as a matter of fact, 
the enmity of Langley alone was sufficient to make him 
cautious of being jflaced under the ban of Apostac}" 
while winter held its impenetrable barriers between 
Utah and the world. He worked on patiently and wiiii 
the consciousness that he was not free from suspicion 
and espionage. He listened to plausible priestly lies 
without betraying by look or word that he knew the 
truth ; pretended to believe prophecies that were framed 
after the fact, and revelations that he had seen com- 
] bounded by designing men. 

It was some time since he had seen Hagar alone. His 
falling out with Langley prevented his visiting tlie 
Bishop’s house, and the brooding and unsettled stat(‘ of 
his mind made him indifferent to social intercourse. 
After the long office hours of the tithing department 
where he was engaged, he would go home Jind pace his 
room, or make an effort to read. Sometimes he would 
mount an old nag that a relative in the country had 
given his father, and ride slowly past Hagar’s school, 
in the hope of getting a chance to salute her, but she 
was always out of sight. 

Langley was among the first to suspect and circulate 
the story of the young man’s growing scepticism. One 
day after an interview on very mundane affairs with 
Brigham Young, he said to the prophet, in his officious 
way : 

“ Young Charles Spencer seems to be a good deal of 
a favorite with you. Brother Brigham ? ” 

Yes, so long as he lives his religion and obeys coun- 
sel. But why did you ask that ? By your tone I judge 
there is something back of the question. ” 

You have noticed nothing ? ” 

Well, ” said the President, raising his eye brows and 
taking off his spectacles to rub them with a cotton ban- 


HAGAB- 


24 ^< 

danna, Well, may be 1 have — but what have you uo* 
ticed ? ” 

“i'or one thing, that he is associating with the vile 
apostate. Doctor Robinson.” 

“ What ? You don’t mean that, do you ? He has not 
gone so far as that!” 

“ Yes, he has. They were always fast friends as you 
know, but Spencer went back on him w^hen he aposta- 
tized. The change in his own heart now makes the 
apostate congenial to him, and they have been seen walk- 
ing together at night on the hili by the arsenal, and along 
tne road to the Hot Springs. I told you long ago that 
Robinson ought to be dealt with, and offered to take the 
matter in hand. He never was reallj^ devoted to the 
church. The pretence served to gain him a foothold, 
and he has lived in open defiance of authority for nearly 
four years. Many of the women are going to him for 
his nostrums, and his influence for evil is increasing 
every day.* 

“I will see about this at once. You might have an 
eye kept on Spencer and also on the i)ill-maker. I have 
noticed Brother Charles’ uneasiness, but thought it grew 
i)Ut of his sickly infatuation over the pretty widow. 
But if he thinks he can hoodw ink me, and loll into apos- 
f acy under my very nose, he shall have plenty of rope I 
can promise him. ” 

The prophet made no effort to conceal his irritation, 
and tlie Bishop, seeing that he had achieved his 
purpose, soon after withdrew. Directly he had gone 
a boy w’Rps summoned to tell ST>encer that President 
Young wished to see him. The answer came that he 
was out and would not be back before five o’clock. 

President Young struck a small gong on tne desk in 
front of him, and a tall straight man with broad shoul- 
ders and a generally raw-boned appearance, entered by 
a «mall side-door. He looked, at first glance, like an 
American Indian, but was a T)roselyte from the Sand- 
wdeh Islands, He w\as a messenger and assistant body- 
guard to the President. Having received his orders in 
a few words he backed out through the narrow door 
with a deferential salute. The president aw^aited his re- 
f urn. He was not absent more than twenty minutes, and 
came back quite out of breath. 


HAGAE. 


249 


^‘Welr?'’ demanded President Young. 

“He was tliere, sir. Vs hen I vras block away I see 
the old i)iiito mare tie to post in front ot liobinsoa 
house, but -fore 1 git there 4 seen him come out, git on 
horse, and go down road like lie goiii’ to Jordon bridge.” 

The Kanaka made a faithful report : from Dr. Robin- 
son’s Spencer i\'ent direct to Hagar’s school, driven on 
by a wild desire to tell her of the heavy woes that were 
oppressing him. 

“ I know not what to say to her, but it will out if I 
can but find her alone. I will tell her my misery, and 
lay my heart at her feet.” 

The small one-roomed building in which the school was 
held, was located in an orchard near the Langley man- 
sion. The snow was trampled down by the children 
around the house, and huge balls had been rolled up 
{'rom among the trees where it lay deepest, and formed 
into high banks for breastworks from behind which the 
urchins pelted each other in mimic warfare. They 
were engaged in this diversion when Spencer rode up, 
and he knew it was within a minute of the time to call 
them in. Tying his horse to the gate post he knocked 
at the school-house door, and was admitted by Hagar. 
As he entered, a tow-headed boy of about fifteen years 
might have been seen to quit his i)lay and go post-haste 
towards the Bishop’s house. There was a standing re- 
ward of a quarter of a dollar in silver, for the bearer oT 
news of Spencer’s appearance at the school, and the 
Bishop’s son Tobias, though not over quick at his stud- 
ies, was alert to win the spy’s reward on the first oppor- 
tunity. 

Hagar extended her hand iira friendly manner, saying 
with singular earnestness : 

“ I am very glad to see you, Mr. Spencer, but I am sor- 
ry you have come here.” 

“ I will go away at once, then,” he replied, a little hurt. 

“ It v/iil be best for us both. We are watched, and 1 
do not think you are free from danger. I was foolish to 
have come here, but I must now submit, as there is no es- 
cape.” 

To his imagination her words meant more than she in- 
tended. 

“ Submit ! you surely will not submit to tliis Blue 


250 


HAGAH. 


Beard ? You can leave here in the spring and return to 
your people.” 

“ We are in danger, I tell you. I must consult my pres- 
ent safety. Consult yours by going at once. I must call 
in the school.” She already had the small bell in her 
liand when he came in, and she now threw the door open 
that he might depart before she rang. He was stepping 
back from the door, raising his hat in salute, when he 
was seized by the shoulders and hurled to the ground. 
The Bishop had come through the garden, and darted 
around the corner of the school-house like a lion that had 
been crouching for his prey. Spencer sprang to his feet 
in an instant, and leveled his revolver, one of heavy cal- 
ibre he had that day borrowed from Dr. Robinson, at 
the Bishop’s head. The children had run in screaming 
with fright, and Hagar shut the door in dread of an im- 
l)ending tragedy. Hearing the voices of the men out- 
side, she listened. 

“ The only reason I donT put day-light through you. 
Bishop Langley,” said Spencer, with dangerous compos- 
ure, “ is because I know that it would bring harm to that 
helpless woman in there — worse harm than you can do 
her if I let you live. I know that if I killed you here novv' 
as 3^011 intended to kill me had you found me unprepared, 
1 should be lynched as if I had been an assassin. I’ll 
spare you, but 3'ou shall make me a promise, and further, 
you shall swear to it; you are not famous for veracit3^ 
Its a wonder to me tliat a hypocrite like you doesn’t 
make apostates of half the communit3^ Raise your 
right hand and repeat after me : “ In the name of Al- 
mighty God, I swear that I will not harm or permit oth- 
ers to harm by word or act the woman known as Sister 
Miles ; and that I will use my influence to prevent the 
cut-throats of Zion from doing bodil3^ injury to the man 
known as Charles Spencer.” 

The Bishop paused and looked around to see if helj) 
was not near before he would comply. But as there was 
no relief at hand, and Spencer made his weapon click im- 
patiently, the redoubtable ecclesiastic swallowed his re- 
sentment, or rather choked it down, and repeated the 
oath with sonorous though unwilling accents. The 
young man then compelled him to turn his face to the 
wall, aiul leisurely resumed his journey towards home. 


CHAl'TEK XXVL 


“ So blinded are we by oiir passions that we suffer more to be 
damned than to be saved."— 


The choice epithets of Bishop Langley on this occasion 
can form no part of this record. Suffice it to say that 
they embodied rather the ecclesiastical than the Chris- 
tian spirit, and both spirit and epithets were imitated 
from his superiors in authority. 

He glanced towards the school-house windows with 
a mingled feeling of hatred, revenge and remorse. In 
that little square adobe hovel was the woman for whom 
he would give more than life itself, and down the road 
went the man who dared to interfere between him and 
hiis dearest object. The thought that Sister Miles might 
have witnessed his humiliation tortured him to the 
quick, and his first impulse was to wreak summary 
vengeance on its cause. But there was rather too 
much personal risk about this to render it an at- 
tractive expedient just then, and he felt no doubt 
of finding his opportunity. On second thought, timid 
women like Sister Miles always held their hands over 
their ears when men quarreled in their hearing, and re- 
frained from looking at the contestants for fear of wit- 
nessing something shocking. He would go home and 
wait until school was dismissed, and then, with what- 
ever result, make a final eflbrt to bring the pretty widow 
to terms. 

As he turned away he heard the children’s voices 
singling merrily their lesson of the State Capitals: — 
^^The Eastern States we first will mention, six of them 
in number. The state of Maine, Augusta, on the Ken- 
nebec Eiver,’’ etc. 

This evidence that the teacher was employed with her 
duties reassured him and he paused to listen. Ever and 
auon there was a break in the singing and the gentle 
voice of the woman who thus late in life had enthralled 
him, came to him like soft thrilling melody. It calmed 
him. If she would but say the one word which, in spite 


232 


HAGAR. 


of his Lopes to the contrary, he seemed to have a fore* 
boding she would not say, he believed for the moment 
that he might feel and actually be at peace with the 
world and with himself. He might be able to shift his 
course from among the snags and shoals where he had 
been battling so long, back to the normal and prudent 
highway which his father and other men he had once 
admired, had traveled Avithout disaster. His thoughts 
Avere far from beling well-defined, but he was, at least, 
half conscious of a plan by which the ‘‘ pretty wfidow,’^ 
as Hagar was now commonly called in Zion, was to aid 
him in attaining a more comfortable altitude than he 
then enjoyed. The privileges’’ of the latter-day Gosi^el 
liad begun to pall upon him at the time he married Amel- 
ia, but since he met the young stranger he had grown 
cold and formal with the celestial partners of his joys. 
Hagar’s declination of the privileged estate, and the 
persistency with Avhich she avoided him, not only gave 
zest to his pursuit but rendered her in hiis eyes a supe- 
rior being. Had she succumbed Idke the rest she 
would have sunk to their level. It was her fidelity to 
herself that exalted her. 

As he still hesitated between returning home and go- 
ing into the school to bring the matter to a crisis there 
and then, lie tried to imagine vdiat he would do in case 
of her final and absolute refusal, even after all the con- 
cessions and pledges he was prepared to make. He had 
noted more than once when looking into Hagar’s hazel 
eyes a strange and palpable likeness to that unhappy 
woman, Hope ^uncent, whom he had deserted, and who 
in turn deserted him, driven to distraction by his domes- 
tic chaos. And he now wondered if this gentle creature, 
who in her gentleness also was like what Hope had once 
been, could convey such Avithering scorn and disgust in 
a look, as characterized the last glance Hope ever bent 
on him ? For that look, as for the woman Avho gave it, 
he had thought and cared nothing heretofore, but both 
haunted him now ; and combat the superstition as he 
would he saw in this an evil omen. At length, impatient 
and wavering, he obej^ed his strongest impulse, entered, 
dismissed the school and remained alone AAuth her. 

Hagar, who had put on her bonnet and cloak before 
the last of tlie scholars had departed, lingered only to 


HAGAR. 


253 


arrange the books and papers on her desk. She was 
longing to be gone, and shook with fear. 

Langley spoke softly : 

“ I hope you were not frightened by the incident 
between Brother Spenrer and myself. Did it startle 
you ? I could not brook his presence here with you. 
I know I was wrong to show my anger to the miserable 
pauper, but nothing save death can come betwixt you 
and me ! I give you my word, dear Sister, that nothing 
of the kind shall happen again, in your presence. ” 

Hagar was terrified. 

She felt insecure in the presence of this giant whom 
she could not help regarding as a low and common man, 
and was trying to frame an evasive answer to escape 
an interview she had long been dreading. What could 
she say ? . . .She had received, the day previous, a note 
from Brigham Young’s Secretary Inviting her on behalf 
of the President to attend a family party at the ‘‘ Lion 
House ” this very evening, and she had promised some 
of the President’s daughters that she would come soon 
after school was dismissed to take supper with them 
and direct a final rehearsal of their music before the 
party began. Here, she thought, was a means of raising 
the seige. 

“I take little interest in men’s quarrels,” she said, 
hurriedly closing her desk, and going to the stove on the 
pretence of making all secure, “except to -wonder why 
they are not always settled without resorting to blow's. 
You must excuse me Bishop Langley ; I have promised to 
go early to the Lion House to rehearse music for the 
party to-night. Are there any directions you wished to 
give me ? ” 

“ Only a minute, Sister, only a minute,” he urged. “ I 
am not here to direct, but to plead — ” 

She interrupted him : 

“ I beg you not to return to that subject. I must go— 
I cannot hear you. ” 

He stood between her and the door, w ithout any 
thought of using force to prevent her exit, but still de- 
termined that she should remain and hear him. 

“ Stay one moment, I entreat you 1 ” he exclaimed. 

She paused involuntarily, impressed by his singular 
humility. “You see before you a miserable, dejected 
wreteh, who loves you, worships you ! ” 


•254 


HAGAR. 


She tried to pans him, saying impatiently : 

‘^Bishop Langley, this is wrong. Let me pass; you 
are too brave a man to insult a helpless woman. ” 

Too brave ? Yes, and for the first time brave enough 
to love one. You were not safer at your mother’s 
breast than here with me. Even if you reject me, 
scorn me, denounce me, I swear before Heaven not to 
come nearer than I now stand, and to let you pass freely 
Tvhen yon have heard my story. ” 

'‘But, if I will not?’^ 

"In pity, you cannot refuse.” 

" It wili be useless. I can never love you. 

" You love another, then ! the President, eh ? ” 

" What folly ! ^so ; a thousand times, no. ” 

" You would not love or marry a polygamist ? * 

" Never ! ” 

" You do not love this Spencer ? ” 

" Bishop Langley, do you know what you are saying ? ’ 

" Full well; ” he replied, trying to restrain his eager- 
ness, w^hich was being wrought up by his emotions. 

You love him, then ; he, this pauper stripling, is my 
rival ! ” 

" You are wrong, I say ; I love no man on earth ! ” 

" Well then, your heart is free.. Bestow it on him avIio 
will prize it most. The ideal husband is a being who 
can neither deceive nor suffer deception ; an ideal wife 
the same, and such a state can only be attained by those 
who truly love. But what is love ? 1 1 is sacri- 
fice. You taught me the lesson. For you I am prepared 

to sacrifice everything on earth ! ” 

" No, ho. Bishop Langley ; what you say is all in vain. 
Y^ou have heard me, my answer will forever be the 
same ; I cannot love you. Therefore desist, and let me 
pass ! ” 

" Stay, — stay, ” he said, detaining her. " Y’ou are more 
stubborn than destiny. But love will pierce bronze or 
adamant, itself; mine shall pierce you. Listen!” 
He leant towards her as he spoke, making minute ges- 
tures wdth one hand upon the other. Hagar paused and 
regarded him with pity. 

" This cankered life I have led had almost blasted my 
soul when God sent an angel to redeem me. I have 
made a fortune but have no one to share it with me, I 


HAGAR. 


255 


am a lonely beggar doomed to life-long misery unless the 
angel reaches her hand to save me. My life is a farce. 
It is because I have cared for nobody, have loved noth- 
ing, that such an existence has been tolerable thus long. 
I loathe it now because I have seen you, because I wor- 
ship you. No ; do not speak, do not ask to leave me until 
you hear what I will do. I have done wrong, gone as- 
tray, shown myself a villain ; but I shall be a different 
man hereafter, I am prepared to relinquish, to abandon 
everything that connects me with this loathsome life I 

“Abandon the wives and children you are bound to 
provide for and protect !” exclaimed Hagar, raising her 
hands in amazement. 

“Why not ? The law and my conscience ai)prove. I 
shall not leave them destitute — no, I can leave them all 
rich, and have a fortune still for you. The property I 
own here will in a few years be worth a thousand dollars 
where it is now worth one. They will have more if I go 
than if I stay. See, then, it is not only to accept the 
man that loves you and can give you everything the 
world covets, it is to save him and them. When I wooed 
you as a Mormon I loved you, but you were not then 
what you are now, in my sight. I have suffered, I call 
God to witness, as few men suffer in this world, and 
have thought in bitter agony many a time that a door 
of escape might at length be opened to me. You have 
the power to open such a door. Ha\'e you not the will to 
save me ? Look ! you shall return to your friends and 
tell them of my words ; ask the advice of yonr parents, 
your former pastor or priest, of anybody in whom yon 
have confidence. I will come to you soon, when I have 
arranged all here. But I am lost if you fail me — Oh I 
say that you pity me, say that you will save me ! 

The Bishop paused, bowing his head on his breast. 
His passionate appeal had only served to deepen Hagar’s 
abhorence of him. She wondered if he had not made 
those protestations in suing for Amelia’s hand: she 
thought of his broken vow to his first wife, and her un- 
pitied wretchedness. Her interest in the situation was 
mingled with a sense of keen alarm. She saw that he 
determined to have an answer, yet she dared not make 
the one she wished to give. At length she spoke. 

You must give me time to consider — you shall send 


256 


HAGAE. 


me to my friends as you suggest, and i wiJi consult wit . 
them, and follow their advice. ” 

“ There is hollowness and deception in what you say ! ” 
he exclaimed. “You mean to elude me, to betray me. 
But, no matter ! »You have heard me — ^you know I have 
spoken the truth — now leave you to decide as you will. 
But remember, I have not told you a tithe of my love ; I 
have not hinted at tlie consuming passion you hav‘‘ 
kindled in my heart. My fate is in your hands ; I mu si 
abide your pleasure, even though it be my dam 
nation ! . . . ” 

“ May I pass, then ? asked Hagar, eagerly. 

“ Yeis, I have detained you too long. ’’ said the Bishop, 
humbly stepping aside. 

Hagar felt a sudden^ tremor as she flitted by him and 
out into the wintry air. She drew her cloak about her 
and walked on rapidly in the direction of the Lion 
House. She lacked the courage to go to Sister Eliza’s to 
make any preparations for the party at the President’s. 
On two points she was fully determined : Never to re- 
turn to Bishop Langley’s house; and not to be seen 
that evening except by the daughters of the Pres-ident 
with whom she liad promised to rehearse their music. 

Several minutes elapsed after her exit before the 
Bishop moved. The words he had spoken now began to 
seem like tangible things, and to grate upon his brain 
as he recalled them. The incandescent stream of his 
fervor began to resolve itself into cold crystals, whose 
l ough edges scratched his tongue. 

Perhaps, after all, he was laboring under a delusion, 
for was it possible such flaming protestations could 
be so rife and willing at one moment and thus lagging 
and stubborn the next? He had given her leave to 
betray him if she pleased, but there was now about th(‘ 
thought that she might do so the same nakedness and 
inquietude as characterised the rest of the interview 
in retrospect. Unable to resist the current of his emo- 
tions, anticipation had charmed him onward to the 
scene he had just enacted ; the moments of its dura- 
tion had thrilled him with a hitherto unknown and un- 
defined sensation, akin to that experienced by one who 
has staked his all on a die’s cast : but the sequel was 
unutterably bitter. He knew that he had lost, yet 


HAGML 


2d I 


like the gambler, clung to the hope that he should still 
win. 

Meanwhile the pretty widow must be forestalled at 
the President’s. Her unsupported denuncition would 
he thought, count for little against his record and direct 
denial. Indeed he felt no doubt of his ability to r'idicule 
her into silence. But that was not all he desired. He 
had meant all he had said to her, and if she chose to 
slight his magnificent offer, he must seek to be avenged. 
He had his doubts about the ijracticability of coercion in 
her case, but knew that the President was an adept at 
persuasion, and thought he might count upon Ms help. 
He would, therefore, drive round and have another chat 
with him. 

It was nearly five o’clock, and the mountains were 
growing dark in the early dusk of winter, when he 
drove up to the President’s gate. Having hitched his 
horse to the long chain that ran through a line of posts 
at the curb stone, he passed through the narrow gate 
in the high wall, asking the elder in the guard-room if 
Brother Brigham was in his office. 

^‘Yes, he is there waiting for you,” replied the tall, 
lean elder, with a cork leg, who was at that time the 
watch-dog of the palace. 

Waiting for me ? ” asked the Bishop in surprise. 

Yes, sir,— he sent for you half an hour ago.” 

Then I must have crossed the messenger on my way,” 
replied the Bishop, feeling a slight uneasiness as he 
went in. 

He found the President alone. He was seated near 
a. table reading, habited, as usual, in a loose-fitting black 
coat, a colored handkerchief about his neck, spectacles on 
nose, and on his head rather a broad-brimmed hat lined 
with green on the nether side of the rim. 

'^Well, Brother Edwin/’ said the Ih'esident, famil- 
iarly, You are prompt enough at obeying a summons, 
though sometimes slow about coming of your own ac- 
cord.” 

Perhaps so. Brother Brigham,” Langley replied, as 
he shook hands and took a chair, '' but this time I am 
here of my own accord, for your messenger has not seen 
me — I only heard of him at your gate. Anything spec- 
ial?’^ He judged by the President’s manner that he 


258 


HAGAE. 


liad not been sent for ^rom any unfriendly motive, and 
felt easier as lie asked this question, quickly followed by : 

“ Any new development along the Hot Spring road ? 

No, we won’t say anything about that at present. I 
wanted I to have a word about this pretty widow. Sister 
Miles. It’s time she was married.” This last remark 
was uttered with that superb complacency of which 
the Mormon President was so complete a master. 
Langley was amazed. 

“You think so?” he asked, dubiously. 

“ I am sure of it. You have had a fair chance, but she 
don’t want you ; ” Langley started, and gazed strangely 
at the President, who went on — “ So I’ve selected a hus- 
band for her — ” Langley interrupted him. 

“ Yourself, I suppose ? ” He did not succeed in 
wholly concealing the sneer. 

“ You guess badly to-day. Brother Edwin. No. 
Though you have taken a wife later by some months than 
I, you want her and I don’t. I mean Brother Spencer.’^ 
His affected urbanity was sufficiently irritating to have 
caused the Bishop to insult, if not to strike, a lesser per- 
sonage. But he controled his anger, and said with a 
forced smile : 

“ You seem to know all about my wants and the van- 
ity of them. Brother Brigham. May I ask who has been 
informing you ? ” 

“Herself. She seems to be a straightforward young 
woman, and had the good sense to come straight to head- 
quarters with her grievance. She left me a few minutes 
before you came in.” 

“ What did she say ? ” asked Langley, with obvious 
difficulty. 

“In effect, that she could not remain any longer at 
your house and would never consent to marry you. 
She’s about the smartest young woman I know of. She’s 
l)retty, too, and must have come from well-to-do and 
educated people. We must go slow with her— espec- 
ially you. Brother Edwin ; she’s not the kind to be 
fooled with. I’ve agreed to give her a temporary home, 
and if she won’t have Brother Spencer, why I can’t say 
at present what I will do.” 

“Brother Brigham — you must excuse me — ” said 
Langley rising, but striving to suppress his agitation, “ I 


HAGAB. 


259 


have listened as long as I can to this talk — every word 
of it is cutting me like a knife. To you I know its a 
light matter — a good joke — but you see, it’s no joke to 
me, for I love that woman ; and what’s more, I mean 
to have her, or no man shall on this earth ! ” He raised 
his clenched fist, his eyes flashed, and his voice trem- 
bled with rage. Do you prefer to please Spencer 
rather than me ? Can you so love one on the brink of 
apostacy, and will she lake him at your request?” — 
he gave the rein to his feelings. 

By this time the President had taken off his spectacles, 
and was leaning back in his chair regarding the agitated 
Bishop with an expression of blank astonishment. 

“ Sit down, Brother Edwin, ” he presentl}^ said, com- 
posedly. You are getting excited. Sit down. I quite 
forgot I had not heard your side of the story. ” 

This remark had a soothing eff'ect upon the Bishop’s 
nerves, and he resume his chair with a much calmer 
aspect. 

You asked me so many questions at once,” continued 
the President, have forgotten them all. Suppose you 
begin again. ” 

The whole matter is summed up in a few words. I 
don’t want to ofl’end you. Brother Brigham, as you know 
well enough ; but I love this woman and shall not submit 
to any arrangement that deprives me of her. 0 1* course, 
so far you can decide between Spencer and me. But 
whoever my rival may be, he must reckon with me w^hen 
all is said and done by other parties. As to 1113^ side of 
the case, it is simply this : I have told this woman I love 
her and ’svant to marry her. She has refused, and comes 
to you to repeat her rejection of me ; to emphasize it, 
in short ; her coming to 3^011 thus places her much at 3^our 
discretion : with. 3"our aid I believe I can obtain her con- 
sent. If you fail me, — well I’m prett3^ used to paddle 
m3^ own canoe, and ” 

“ There, there. Edwin, said the President, interrupt- 
ing in a persuasive tone. “ Don’t stir up strife. I’ll look 
into this matter. I don’t care to bring authority to bear 
too heavily on Sister Miles even to favor you ; but if you 
are so terribly in love, I presume I’ll have to think it 
over. We may, however, have a reckoning of a new 
kind if we carry authority too far with her, for its cer- 


2 G 0 


HAGAK. 


tain she comes of good stock, and her folks may have 
inhuence. ” 

If that is all, Spencer can tell you who they are,” the 
Bishop replied. 

Have you mentioned it to to him ? ” 

“ Yes, soon after her arrival, but he put me off. I be- 
lieve he has been in love with her all along.” 

If he is at his desk ask him to step here a moment.” 

Bishop Langley obeyed promptly. He found Spencer 
busy at his desk in the inner office. The3^ returned to- 
gether. 

“We are holding a conference on the subject of 
Sister Miles, and want your help, brother Charles, ”said 
I’resident Young. “ Can you throw any light on her 
pedigree, and inform us whether she has any uncles in 
the Senate, or cousins in the House ? in short who and 
what her relations may be ? If I remember rightly, you 
said her father was one of the devil’s Ministers ? ” 

“He was a parson of the Unitarian persuasion. But 
she was only his adopted daughter. I believe she was an 
orphan, I am not sure.” 

“ What name, and how much of a following ? ” asked 
the President. 

“ He w as called Dr. Taine — ” at this name Langley 
started — and to judge by his church — his home and so 
forth, for I never attended his service,” continued the 
Elder, not noticing Langley, “ I should say he must have 
a rich and numerous following.” 

“ She was called. Miss Taine then, when 3 011 first saw^ 
her ? What was her given name ? I have never heard 
it,” asked the President with unconcealed curiosity. 

“ I have promised her that I Avould not mention that,” 
said Spencer. 

“No matter, I must hear it. Come, out with it.’^ 

Spencer paused a moment, the impulse to rebel against 
the autocrat rising like a torrent in his heart. He 
forced it back and answered : 

“ Her name is Hagar.” 

Langley’s cheek, already blanched, grew deadly pale. 
He repeated the name in a whisper as he averted hiis face 
to conceal for a moment his intense agony. He wheeled 
about suddenly to clutch at the last straw of hope, both 
of his companions supposing that the frenzy of his pas- 
sion was the cause of his strange look. 


HAGAB. 


261 


^ When and where did she marry tHe young officer 
named Miles ? he asked, grimly. 

“Must I answer?’^ asked Spencer, addressing Brig- 
ham Young. 

“ Yes. Let’s have the whole story.” 

“ Well, then, she was never married to such a man. 
She eloped with a southern spy named Lament alias 
Smiles, and the child she buried on the plains was his — ” 

At this moment Langley, who had been pierced as b3' 
a dagger at the sound of her name, sunk upon the floor, 
crying out in a faint voice. 

“Oh! my God]!! 


.CHAPTER XXVII. 


“Nothing "woiild content them but that every end for which civil society 
exists should be sacrificed to the ascendancy of a theological system,” 

—Macaulay, 

Hagar continued to reside in the family of the Presi- 
dent during the rest of the winter, and w^as at a loss to 
account for the sudden cessation of the Bishop’s suit, 
and the state of absolute tranquility in which she 
found herself from the very day of her arrival under 
the prophet’s roof. She thought it likely that Brigham 
•Young had interposed in her behalf, and felt very grute- 
ful to him for the peace she now enjoyed. 

Bishop Langley kept hks secret, and heithelr' the 
President nor Sjiencer could ascribe a cause for his 
breaking down as he did. It was thought by many, 
that Langley’s infatuation for the girl had unsettled 
his reason. Since his interview with Brigham Young 
he had remained almost constantly at home in a state 
which cast a gloom over his household, and called 
forth many characteristic comments from the neighbors. 
Some averred that Sister Miles was a witch who ought to 
be burnt for the public safety ; others held that she must 
be an evil spirit whom Satan had sent to tempt the lead- 
ing lights of Zion and bedevil their wits, ” as an )old 
crone, who noted the change in the Bishop, put it. It was 
well for her that her limited ability in music and “ read- 
ing and writing” had obtained for her a place of safety, 
foi' she would not have been free from serious danger in a 
.more exposed position. She worked oto- jcheerfully 
and patiently, giving good value for all she received, 
and longing for the time when she might be able to 
return to the East. That hope, though not a strong one, 
still sustained and gave her courage. 

Well, well,” said Brigham Young to Spencer a day or 
two after Langley’s painful exhibition, ‘‘I have known 
of the finest horse in a band being driven to death by a 
gad-fly ; but I never expected to see one of the most level 
iieaded men in the church driven mad by a butterfly.” 


HAGAR. 


263 


Spencer had been called into the sanctum to take down 
in short-hand some official letters the prophet wished to 
dictate, and merely said : 

“ It was very strange : I fear Bishop Langley was not 
well.’’ 

Perhaps not. Some are sick in body, some in their 
minds, and still others in their souls, and it often hap- 
pens that they are sick all through : such, for instance, is 
the condition of the apostate. He is a rotten carcass 
without any soul in him, fit only to be thrown out for 
dogs to gnaw at.” 

The young man felt the force of this fling keenly 
enough, and fully realized that there was something back 
of it. For a second his face blanched slightly and he 
hung his head, but almost instantly his heart came back 
and he experienced a vague, undefined satisfaction in 
guessing the prophet’s purpose. The passing sense of 
fear gave place fio calm defiance. 

“ The man, or woman, who will apostatize from the 
House of Israel is thereb}" blotted out from the Book 
of Life, and shall exist no more forever. The curse 
shall follow him all the days of his miserable existence, 
and when he sinks into his grave he shall pass to ever- 
lasting darkness and everlasting death.” 

Spencer deliberately set down this soliloquy, and then 
rehearsed the alphabet of Pitman’s system in sheer ab- 
straction. 

Lay down that pencil and listen to me.” There was 
a tone and manner of absolute authority about the Mor- 
mon President Avhich had cviwed and coerced many a 
stronger and older man than Spencer. 

I have obe^^ed, sir, and am at your service.” 

That’s right. Now, Brother Charles, I’m going to 
give you some good advice. You have spent the greater 
part of your life about this office and I have known you 
from your cradle. Now, I hear, and have good reason to 
believe, that you are acting strangely of late. You fan- 
cy that you’re so smart you can just scuttle out and shift 
for 3"*ourself. I don’t know what you intend, but I can 
tell you what you’ll do — you’ll come to grief. Your fa- 
ther and mother are alarmed about you. You want an 
anchor ; you ought to marry and settle down — you’re 
earning twice as much as I was when I married my first 


HAGAH. 


264 

wife. But I expect you are touched alsifo by the butter- 
fly madness ; you forget that she not only walked but ran 
in1>v> the spider’s parlor, and that your sighs can never 
penetrate the walls of the Lion House. And yet, you 
might become my son-in-law, — who knows ? The devil 
has been paying oft* his debt to me in this article, and, he 
may yet add you, with all your cleverness, to the list. 
Sister Miles is not the kind for a two-room cottage and 
third pick of Tithing oftice stores. If you want her 
you’ll have to get as rich as Brother Edwin. She will 
never marry anything short of a rich bishop, unless she 
takes it into her head to run off with a stage-driver, and 
she seems too serious for that. But I have my eye on 
her, and you know what that means.” 

“ What does it mean ? That you will marry her ? ” 
Well, Brother Charles, how does that stflike you ? 
How would such an event appear to eyes growing green 
with the venom of apostacy ? Aha ! you see I’ve found 
you out ! And now I’m going to make short work of you.” 

The gong rang out shrilly and the Kanaka appeared 
instantly at the side door. 

‘^I ought to send you to a dungeon for repentance; 
but I’m going to deal kindly with you. You can wait, 
George, and listen to all that’s said!” 

Spencer sprang to his feet when the Kanaka entered, 
but he resumed his chair and bent his steady gaze upon 
the I*resident. 

How many other young fools, male and female, have 
taken like you the path that leads straight to the devil 
across lots ? ” 

^‘President Young,” said Spencer calmly, ‘^I do not 
understand you.” 

“ How many others are going to the medicine man of 
the 19th Ward for comfort and advice ? ” 

I know nothing about what others do or where they 
go. As for myself, I have made no secret of my visits 
to Dr. Kobinson. I have gone there in broad daylight. 
He was my intimate friend before he left the church. 
We met soon after my return last fall, and I am free to 
confess that, in spite of his apostacy which I deplored 
and resented at the time it occurred, I have relaxed the 
bit tern ess I felt towards him, and respect him as an hon- 
est man. He works hard and does much good amongst 


HAGAR. 


205 


the poor. He devotes himself like a true man to his 
^yife and pretty children, and meddles with nobody. 
Therefore, 1 see no good reason why 1, his old friend, 
should either despise or ignore him.” 

“ Most sweet, young man ’ Do you not know that the 
Latter-Day Saint who can so sweetly relax his bitter- 
ness towards the deadly enemies of Israel, is only fit to 
be classed with them ? I like your candor : Better than 
anything else could, it shows me that the devil has 
begun to fasten Ms net about you, and unless we can 
save you by radical measures you are doomed to damna- 
tion. Do not ‘ relax’ your candor till you have answered 
briefly a few questions I shall ask you. I have noticed 
your budding apathy; the bloom of which is always 
apostacy. So far it is not of the vicious type. It is a 
restless uncertainty rather than a fixed purpose. You 
are afflicted with three complaints : You are in love 
with Sister Miles, that’s one ; you think yourself fear- 
fully smart, that's two ; and you think the priesthood a 
parcel of old fools, that’s three 

“ I may be eaten up with my own conceit — as to that 
I am, perhaps, not able to judge ; but the last malady I 
deny. I have never by word or act shown the slightest 
disrespect for the priesthood.” 

Then the possession of Sister Miles would be a balm 
for all your woes ? ” 

“ I decline to answ er. I have never spoken to the lady 
on the subject of love. But, whatever my thoughts may 
be I hold them sacred to myself.” 

‘‘ She cares nothing about the Church ; you brought 
her here unconverted, and she awaits only the oppor- 
tunity to shake the dust of Zion from her feet. Shall 
you follow her to hell wTien she departs ? ” 

“ I apprehend that her course Avill lie towards a very 
different haven. But as to my following her; — 
Who can tell what he may do in the mysterious 
future ? 

‘‘Have you talked on this subject with your friend 
the pill-maker ? ” 

“If you mean Dr. Robinson I should like to assure 
you once for all, that he is in no wise to blame for what 
you find objectionable in me or in my conduct. He 
never sought me — I forced myself upon him. Whatever 


206 


HAGAR. 


I confided to him of my thoughts or intentions I did 
against his expressed objection. His only advice to me 
was to be faithful to my convictions — 

“Yes, when he saw they were bearing you in his 
direction ! Did you not say at his door the other night, 

‘ The President and priesthood fatten while the people 
starve ’ 

“ I did not. ” 

“ Did you not say, ‘Zion and hell have become synon- 
ymous ? ’ ’’ 

“ I did not. 

“Well, then, the voice was his, and it was by such 
l)hrases that he sought to keep you ‘true to your con- 
victions, ’ it was by these noble sentiments that your 
‘ bitterness became relaxed. * ” 

“ President Young, ” said Spencer, rising and looking 
steadily into the prophet’s spectacles, “you have been 
deceived. Whoever told you that such word-; were spoken 
by me or in my presence, lies. As for Dr. Robinson, 
I have only heard kind words from him about yourself 
and the church in general. He wants to live at peace 
here, and seeks to avoid those themes that create ill- 
feeling. If you will let me confront the false witness 
who has reported these things I will make him confess 
his shame.” 

“Be calm. Brother Charles, your defence cannot 
save an apostate from hell-fire. You’d better attend to 
your own case, and leave the pill-maker to the wrath 
of the Lord. ” 

“Left to that I should have no fear about his safety. 
It is the spite and malice of men who bear false-witness 
and strike in the dark; against these he muit be 
warned. ” 

“ And you. will bear the warning ? ” 

“ Perhaps ” 

Spencer paused. A dreadful apprehension smote 
him like a sudden blow. 

“ Young man, you are a fool ! If you do not mind 
you will follow the will-o’the wisp into the pit of de- 
struction. Leave idle romancing and consider your sub- 
Suantial advantages; you shall have the woman and 
continue in the path of i:)romotion in the i)riesthood, 
or you shall be cast out, and left to the buffetings of 


HAGxVE. 


2G7 


Satan. It is not my custom to bargain with erring ser- 
vants of the Lord, but you have given such good prom- 
ise in the cause of the Gospel, that I offer you these 
alternatives in the hope that you will choose wisely for 
yourself. On the one hand lie, prosperity, influence, 
and authority here, and exceeding great glory in the 
world to come. On the other, is the desert of the Gen- 
tiles, where the Lord is not known, and the vengeance 
that pursues the steps of the apostate. Choose for 
yourself. ’’ 

‘‘ You will allow me time to consider ? ’’ 

If you need time for that, my lad, .you are lost. If 
you are not for us, .you are against us. Answer in- 
stantly.” 

It is a bargain, .you sa.y. But .you offer a condition 
you could not fulfill.” 

“ You mean to belittle m.y authority ? It is plain 
I have done too much — that I have trusted .you too far. 
But no matter. Your conduct now shall be 3^our an- 
swer; and, when next you come to me, come on your 
knees ! ” 

The Mormon President rose with dignity and passed 
in front of Spencer to the outer office. The Kanaka 
stood still at his post, aaid the young man sat for a time 
absorbed in thought. Presentl.y he returned to hi^ 
place in the other office and was surprised to find a 
slip of paper lying on his desk with the word^ Vacant ’ 
written in large letters. The deformed man who was 
at the head of the office looked at him askance but said 
nothing. The other clerks were extraordinarily busy 
and paid no attention to his movements as he got his 
hat and coat and prepared to withdraw. Their friend 
had suddenly become a lei)er whose hand they dared 
not touch. 

A week passed. Spencer’s father labored with him 
and made daily reports to the President, but the young- 
saint failed to appear either in the attitude of a sup- 
pliant, or otherwise. He stayed constantly at home 
and confined himself to his own room most of the time. 
A report became current that he w^as very sick with 
a fever, and one morning a note came to his mother from 
Dr. Robinson asking in the kindest and gentlest man- 
ner if lie might not be allowed to call and see if he 


268 


HAGAR. 


could do anything for ‘ Charley/ who had been his 
friend since childhood. The good woman religiously 
burnt the letter, and sent a brief re})ly to the elfect 
that he had already poisoned her poor boy's mind deeply 
enough, she did not wish him to poison his body as 
well. 

The Elders wdio came to reason and pray with the 
young man did not realize that they had a case of ty- 
phoid, as well as the subtle symptoms of apostacy to 
deal with. They told him he had a devil that was caus- 
ing all the difficulty, and that could on^y be cast out 
when he should resume his obedience to the priesthood. 

When a Mormon doctor was finally called in, the dis- 
ease had fastened itself firmly upon him. The house 
was unsanitary. Some of the younger children had 
died of scarlet fever in the fall, and Spencer’s system 
w^as terribly run down by the exposure and privation 
eneountei'd during his mission, so that he was a ready 
victim. The physician said at once that his condition 
was alarming, and advised his mother to have him taken 
care of day and night. 

The news of Spencer’s dismissal had spread rapidh^ 
throughout Zion. Ha gar had heard of it in the Lion 
House. But she was much more troubled when a re- 
port reached her that he was attacked by that dreadful 
malady from which, she heard, few were ever saved 
til ere. 

A sudden sense of peril seized her. 

Why, ” she cried, “if he should die nobody will know 
me here. I shall be lost ! No — ^lie must not die — he 
must not die ! ” 

She hurried to the apartment of Sister Clara, the 
kind and gentle wife of the prophet Avith whom she 
was domiciled, and asked her permission to go to Spen- 
cer’s house to inquire about her friend. The good lady 
warned her of the danger and said that she could not 
allow one of her daughters to go Avith her. 

It was not far to the Spencer’s house, and though Hagar 
felt some uneasiness lest she might meet Langley on the 
way, she reached there in safety and was gratefully 
welcomed by the elder Mrs. Spencer. 

“ It may be the Lord’s will to take him away rather 
than to let him fall into apostacy. And, although it 


HAGAB. 


2 (>{) 

would break my heart to lose my poor boy, what can I 
say or do in opposition to God’s wisdom ? Even lor my- 
self I would rather bury him than see him an apostate. ” 
Hagar was amazed at this cold relentless fanaticism, 
but passed it without comment and begged to see the 
sick man. Mrs. Spencer, as a matter of fact, preferred 
that she should not be admitted on account of the 
spiritual injury she might impart, but she sought to turn 
her from her purpose on the ground of the danger 
herself. 

I am accustomed to nursing the sick, and have no 
fear for myself. Mr. Spencer saved my life once, and 
I must see him. Please take me to his room. ” 

Hagar knew the house from her former stay there 
and started up the stairs. Mrs. Spencer’s objections 
were nullified by the young woman’s ardor. There was 
but one short and narrow fiight of steps. At the landing 
Hagar was met by the second Mrs. Spencer and was 
presently admitted to the sick room. The young 
missionary A^ as so greatly changed that she could 
scarcely recognize him. He smiled and extended his 
hand and as Hagar took it she fell on her knees at the 
bedside, buried her face in her hands, and sobbed as if 
her heart was breaking. 

They were alone. The womanly instinct even of those 
partners in grief, told them that here was a scene in 
which they could play no part. 

I dread her infiuence, Amanda, said the first Mrs. 
Spencer, shaking her head sadly. 

Well, to me she seems like an angel ; but, if she’s a 
devil, why does the Lord let her come ? ” 

Hagar’s cry was one to heaven for the life of him she 
now realized for the first time, she loved. And the 
answer came back with healing to her eyes and to her 
heart. In a few moments she was all smiles and hope. 

Spencer felt the glow of her spiritual presence which 
brought the place a new and effulgent light, filled the 
air with sweetness and peace, and transformed the 
shabby low-ceiled room into a corner of paradise. If 
life itself had been the price of this hour he would have 
paid it. 

Days and weeks fiew by. Hagar watched him through 
the crisis and by intelligent attention to ventilation 


270 


HAGAli. 


and other sanitary requirements, did yeoman’s service 
in tiding him over the crucial hour. During his conva- 
lescence she prepared his food Tvith her oTvn hands, and 
while giving rigid attention to her duties at the Presi- 
dent’s spent a portion of each day in his company. 

In the knowledge of his love Hagar was brave and 
happy. She looked forward to the day when they 
should be able to go back to the States together and 
live and Avork for each other. That was all she asked, 
and Spencer promised her that it should certainly be if 
she would wait patiently awhile. 

As soon as he Avas strong enough to get about he be- 
gan looking for employment, and, after meeting Avith re- 
buffs from some of the leading Saints, determined to 
apply to the Waller Brothers, a mercantile firm whose 
members had left the Church after a bitter quarrel 
with the autkorities over a demand for tithing. They 
Avere in need of a book-keeper and correspondent and 
offered him immediate employment on a good salary. 

His real trouble noAV began. His poor old mother was 
m desi)air over the pros])ect of his working for and with 
those vile apostates Avho were under the ban of the 
lu'iesthood. All saints were cautioned not to deal at 
their store and they Avere regarded as a blot upon the 
fair face of Zion. Noav her dear boy was going to be 
their servant and receive his hire from them. The ar- 
dent and successful young missionary, whose praises 
had been sung from the EndoAvunent House to the re- 
motest Stake ” of Zion, and whose steps were leading 
fairly on the road to an apostleship, had cast aside the 
glory and exaltation of the priesthood to become the 
hireling of an apostate. Such Avere the bitter reflec- 
tions of the poor old mother who loA^ed him tenderly, 
but whose deepest affection Avas for her Church. As he 
turned to go, she sat doAvn and wept, saying : 

Ah ! Charles, my poor boy, may the Lord pity you ! ” 

And may he bless and protect you, dear mother. I 
look to him as you do, and I know he would not have 
me play the hypocrite. ” 

He had already told her that the Waller Brothers 
were going to pay him twice as much as he had received 
from the Church and she regarded this as another 
trick of Satan. But this was not allj he could no 


HAGAR. 


271 


longer lodge under the roof -tree of the saintly home. 
He must seek a home elsewhere, since even a mother 
must not shelter her child after he become tainted with 
the spirit of apostacy. After a touching scene with 
the poor mother, whose fanaticism had to some degree 
unsettled her reason, he w^ent forth in search of a tem- 
porary stopping place, and began his duties at the 
Waller Brothers store. His father denounced him as 
if he had been an outlaw and threatened to disow n him. 
But the young man only bowed his head and walked 
away in silence. 

The very next day while he was /being instructed by 
his employer, he was astonished to see Hagai* come 
into the store. She glanced about anxiously, and had 
a sad expression on her face. Charles excused himself 
and went to her. 

“ Why, Hagar darling, what has happened ? 

“Is my face such a tell-tale, then? I am almost 
ashamed to let you know it — I have been told to leave 
President Young’s house.” Her lip quivered, but she 
kept back her tears and resolutely maintained her com- 
posure. 

“You have ? By whom ? ” asked Spencer leading her 
to the inner office. 

“By Sister Clara, in obe(lien(*e to orders from the 
President. She wms so sorry about it, and cried as if 
she were driving out one of her own children. She 
said: M have no choice but implicit obedience. I at- 
tempted to tell Brother Brigham that you w^ere here 
among strangers, far from your home, and that you would 
be forever grateful for the kindness shown you. .1 told 
him that gratitude of a gentle soul is like a benediction 
from heaven. But you must go. He thinks you are 
the cause of Charles Spencer’s apostacy.’” 

“ Narrow bigot ! But no matter, you can find a home 
at Doctor Robinson’s.” 

“Yes, I thought of that. Mrs. Robinson has often 
told me that I w^ould be welcome. But they said at 
President Young’s that you did wu*ong to go to the Doc- 
tor’s house, and that nobody wffio valued the good opin- 
ion of those in authority would dare associate wdth the 
apostate. I do not ask you to give up your religion on 
my account. I know^ that here or elsewdiere you will 
mever dishonor me or yourself, and I am willing to live 


272 


HAGAK. 


wherever your wishes and interests direct. Do you not 
think it would be better if I could get board in a Mor- 
mon family ? ’’ 

You will be more comfortable and happy with Mrs. 
Robinson. She has never been a Mormon herself, and 
they cannot object to her giving you shelter. Your 
tastes and sympathies are congenial, and, since we must 
remain here for the present, I think that will be the best 
place for you. In spite of personal ties and a lingering 
affection for the cause in which I have labored honestly, 
I am resolved to quit Utah. My life would be a sorry 
failure here, for I am branded now with what is equiv- 
alent to the curse of Cain, in the eyes of all my friends.” 


CHAPTER XX VI I r. 


Hagar’s removal from the harem of tlie Mormon dic- 
tator to the cottage of Dr. Robinson was quietly effected, 
it would be difficult to say whither her late host had ex- 
pected her to go, but he was very angry when word was 
brought that she had taken refuge with that “ miserable 
apostate/’ He heard that all the other apostates, and 
all the Gentiles and outsiders who were wintering with- 
in the walls of Zion, v ere chuckling triumphantly over 
the circumstance, and reports of the actual language 
used by some of these scoffing critics reached his ears, 
borne by sycophantic gossips who had no talent except 
their tattling malice. It fell out that the Prophet waxed 
exceeding wroth over this matter and employed some 
decidedly strong language in the way of prophesying 
the summary vengeance the Lord was about to wreak up- 
on all his enemies. He and other magnates of the 
ChuTch invoked an early and terrible visitation of the 
Divine rage, not only in private confab, but from the 
rostrum of the Tabernacle. 

Charles Spencer was only too well aware that he was 
to blame for this agitated state of the Apostolic mind. 
The effect of his example was dreaded. He knew that 
disaffection was terribly contagious, and took care not 
to discuss his views with any of his former friends and 
colleagues, though they often came to him for that pur- 
pose. He did not suspect that any of these came as 
spies, but such was the case, and the trouble they took 
to draw him out might have warned him of the truth. 
His apostacy was now as much the theme among the 
saints as his missionary achievements had been a few 
short months before. Many spoke with ])ity or com- 
miseration, but others discussed him with hatred and 
malice, the birth of envy or fanaticism. The Saint who 
had been most industrious in spying out his relations 
with Dr. Robinson was now installed in his former post 
at the tithing office. Many of the boys and girls who 
had been his school-mates, and even the people he had 


274 


HAGAE. 


converted during his labors amongst the heathen of 
Ohio, passed him on the street without recognition. 

But he had reached that point where he could feel sor- 
row for these offenders more keenly than the wrong to 
himself ; and, after all, he sometimes thought, human 
nature was the same in Zion as elsewhere. He had 
seen the members of different sects treat each other ex- 
actly as the Mormons treated Gentiles, and heard them 
denounce infidels or free thinkers just as the Mormons 
did apostates. 

The steady ray of hope and confidence which dwelt 
in his fine dark eyes was the outward expression of 
the fervent heart-prayer — the ever-burning altar-lamj) 
of his soul. He was cheerful. The mutterings of 
fanatics and hypocrites disturbed him not. The 
United States troops on the hill above the town were a 
safe-guard against any high-handed act of tyranny that 
could injure him or the one he loved more dearly, and 
he believed that God would save him from the assassin, 
who had already done much bloody work in Zion. The 
snow was beginning to disappear from the valleys, and 
the time was fast approaching when he and his be- 
trothed might exchange the narrowness of the Mormon 
Kingdom for a free place in the broad world. 

“ It was a sad day for the Mormon people when they 
allowed themselves to be fettered by polygamy,’^ he 
said one day when musing with tender regret on the 
prospect of severing himself from his people. 

The glory of having settled a wilderness and estab- 
lished therein a thrifty population is overshadowed by 
the approved crime they have planted with it. And this 
terrible mistake will work irreparable harm before it 
can be corrected. Used as the thumb-screw of the 
priesthood, it is the ball and chain of Satan by which 
progress is clogged, hojje delayed, growth retarded, 
and disgrace made manifest. Always a failure and a 
curse, it cannot be perpetuated here. The worst evil will 
be that the generation of men and women who spring 
from polygmous stock, will supply a mass of blind 
advocates of the system, who will naturally think it 
must be good since it has produced them. ^Vere it not 
for this source of life, of which it cannot now be depriv- 
ed, it would soon die out and leave the people to accom- 


HAGAE. 


275 


plisli their destiny with their natural pluck and enter- 
prise untraonmeled. ihit still, as God has suffered it, 
there must have been a cause, and it will take a far- 
seeing . prophet to predict the outcome.” 

After long days of uncongenial labor at the store, 
labor which he performed cheerfully only because he 
knew it was but a temporary expedient, his evenings 
were usually passed at Dr. Robinson’s, where they read, 
conversed, or listened to Hagar’s music, and singing by 
the doctor’s wife. 

It was a bleak night in March. The afternoon had 
been so cold and stormy that nothing was doing at the 
store, and the AYaller Brothers put up their shutters 
at sundown. Spencer went early to the Doctor’s house 
where he and Hagar talked over their plans until supper 
w'as announced. Then the regular programme followed. 
There was much sickness in the town and Dr. Robin- 
son was called to see a child across the way. They had 
been reading Scott’s Quentin Durward, and the Doctor 
laid the book aside in the middle of a chapter to go at 
once, though the patient was the child of a poor Mor- 
mon, who could pay him nothing. AVhen he returned 
and resumed the story, Hagar said : — 

^^If Sir AY alter Scott had been acquainted with Brig- 
ham Young I should think he drew the character of 
Louis Xlth, from him.” 

Si)encer and the Doctor laughed. 

‘‘ Are you not a little severe. Miss Taine ? ” said tlie 
Doctor. 

There certainly is a strong resemblance in some 
j)articulars, but Brigham is a more kindly man. He is 
crafty, rugged, and tyrannical, but I should be sorry to 
think him quite the counterpart of grim old Louis.” 

The reading was continued until nearly midnight so 
interested had they become in the romance. Then Spen- 
cer withdrew. Hagar went with him to the door where 
they pjirted with kisses and blessings, never to meet 
again in ]>eace and joy under that hospitable roof. It 
was a night for assassins to ply their trade in safety. 
The inky blackness blended earth and sky into a barrier 
as dense as that which stands beyond the portals of 
death. It was a few seconds before Spencer could find 


276 


HAGAE. 


his way to the gate that shut in the small door-yard 
from the side-walk; but after his eyes became a little 
accustomed to the lieavy gloom, the dim outlines of trees 
and fences enabled him to proceed, and he disappeared 
in the darkness. 

At two o’clock there was a gentle knock at Dr. Eobin- 
son’s door. The Danish servant girl who had her room 
down stairs heard the noise and opened the window to 
ask who was there. A small boy with a lantern, who 
was shivering with the cold, stammered out : 

“My sister is dying, and mother wants to know if 
the Doctor will please come to her.” 

“ Who are you ? be you Johnny Eeed ? ” 

“ Yes, and won’t you ask him to come quick ? ” 

The girl assured him that the Doctor would soon be 
there, and the boy trotted away, the wind whistling 
through his scanty raiment. 

Dr. Eobinson had heard the boy’s voice and got up at 
ouc<ii He had already done his best to save the sick 
child, but it was one of those frail creatures not made 
to live, and he knew the previous day that the end was 
near. Still to comfort the poor widowed mother in her 
sorrow he made haste to get ready. His wife warned him 
to be careful of his own health, and insisted on placing a 
heavy muffler around his neck before she would let him 
go. As was his habit on leaving the house at night, he 
leant over and kissed her fondl}^, then went to the trun- 
dle-bed where his little boy and girl slept peacefully, to 
kiss their angel foreheads. He Seemed to linger mure 
than usual to-night, and his wife, noticing it, said softly : 

“ Don’t wake them, dear.” 

Coming back to the bedside the Doctor replied • 

“No, they are sleeping soundly. I was only making 
t he covers snug around them, and thinking how heaven 
Has blessed us.” There was a pathetic note in his voice 
that she never forgot. 

The boy had gone home with his lantern, and as the 
Doctor opened the door the darkness seemed like an im- 
l)assable barrier. He felt his way slowly to the gate, his 
loot-fall on the black frozen ground making a hollow 
ringing noise. Not a star was in sight, and the weird 
whistling of the wind made a sinister accompaniment to 
the night-gloom. 


HAGAB. 


277 


AVkat means that sudden motion of feet just outside 
the gate ! A crushing blow on a man’s head, a thrust 
with a sharp dagger, a faint moan, a gurgling sound, the 
stealthy fall of receding footsteps, — and then a deadly 

calm, broken only by the sigliling wind ! 

******v** 

Spencer had reached his boarding house in safety, bui 
instead of retiring, sat down moodily and was soon lost 
in reflection. For some unknown reason he felt ill at 
ease, and haunted by a vague sense of danger. It w'as a 
strange and uncomfortable state of mind such as he had 
never before experienced, and he tried in vain to con- 
vince himself that it did not forbode evil. Involuntar- 
ily he laid a loaded revolver under the pillow on his bed 
where he could reach it readily in case of need, and then 
continued to brood and worry over his unwonted appre- 
hensions. 

For Hagar he was ready to do and dare anything, but 
suppose the enemy should strike at her ! The thought 
was like to drive him mad. Langley’s power and re- 
sources he knew to be irresistible but he believed that 
somehow Providence would shield him and his darling 
from the craft of the priesthood, and deliver them out 
of their present situation of danger and doubt. 

Growing more calm, at length, he pictured to himself 
the varied phases of his acquaintance with Hagar. Now 
as the gentle girl he had saved near Cleveland ; again, 
as the fainting victim of a villain at Castle Adamant ; 
as the working girl plying her needle in a factory, or as 
the earnest woman he had just left (far more beautiful 
and attractive than ever, he thought), tried and proved 
by adversity — tested to the fullest extent in the white 
heat of affliction and bitter experience. And by some 
mysterious agency her heart had been given to him at a 
time when he was looking forward with grim satisfac- 
tion to the visit of death. It seemed that by a strange 
fatality their lives were knit together. 

‘T wonder what is to be the next act in this drama ? ” 
As he spoke he threw himself upon the bed, and burying 
his face in his hands, wept as only a young and arden t 
man can weep. In the midst of his sobbing he though t 
he heard a knock at his chamber door. He listened 
The knock was repeated a little louder. The clock ha(l 


278 


HAGAR. 


just struck three. What could mean a visit at that 
hour ? Seizing his revolver he went to the door. 

“ Who’s there ? ” 

“Don’t be alarmed, it is I — Langley — I come as a 
friend.” 

Spencer’s heart stood still. Here, he thought, was the 
explanation of his fearful apprehensions. 

“ Langley as a friend ! I warn you bishop that I am 
prepared to sell my life dearly. Begone, or by the Lord 
I’ll kill you.” 

“ 1 am alone and unarmed, and I swear that I come as 
your fiiiend, perhaps as the only one who can save you. 
I bring you terrible news and a warning. Kill me if 
you will.” 

At this Spencer threw the door open and stepped 
back assuming an attitude of defense. 

Langley strode in wearing a large cloak, a slouched 
hat, and top boots, and looking like a bandit chief. It 
A^ as his usual habit, but S])encer saw at once that he 
lacked the oA'erbearing and impertinent manner which 
he generally assumed before those he considered his 
inferiors. 

“You may be sure that no common errand ha^ 
brought me here at this hour ” 

“ I am — ^^"ou haA^e come to murder me — ^ 

“No — ^j^ou wrong me. As I said before, I come to 
save you. ” 

“From what — or whom ? ” 

“ From a terrible danger. Assassins are abi*oad, 
as you shall hear. You may think me their confeder- 
ate unless you wait to hear me out. ” 

“ And who has been assailed ? ” 

Spencer’s mind was filled with dreadful images. His 
leyes glared, and Langley feared from the nervous 
manner v.ith which he clutched his weapon that he 
might shoot him the instant he told his story. 

“ It is not Hagar. She is safe. But it is a damnable 
piece of business which I deplore as much as you do, 
and of Avhich I am as innocent. 1 have never shared 
■the .priesthood^s ardor for ‘blood atonement,^ and 
have never countenanced it by Avord or deed. ” 

“ It is Eobinson then — they have murdered liim 

“ Be calm one moment. If in your frenzy you should 


HAGAE. 


279 


kill me, you would have on your hands the blood of an 
innocent man, and bring sudden destruction on your- 
self and others. ” 

Spencer, livid with a vague horror, sat down. A des- 
pairing sigh escaped him as he said. 

Go oil. ” 

“ Let me tell you first, Charles, that I have the strong 
est reason for wdshing to serve you and the woman you 
love. The mystery of my conduct when you mad(‘ 
known her name, will disappear when I tell you that 
she .is my own daughter. 

“What’s that you say ?” gasped Spencer, looking up 
suddenly into the Bishop’s face. He was so absorbed 
that scarcely heard Langley’s w,ords. “Youi* 
daughter ! ” 

“ Yes, my daughter. I will tell you more of this at 
another time. Now nerve yourself for to-night’s tragedy, 
and resolve at once to be ruled by me, or you will im- 
peril your own life. Half an hour ago I was in my bed 
fast asleep. I was startled by the luising of a window, 
and heard a paper parcel fall on the fioor. Procuring 
a light I dressed, armed myself, and then picked up the 
])arcel which contained this letter : 

“‘Bishop Langley, the prophets are fulfilled. The 
apostate bites the dust. It is beautiful to see how the 
Lord works out his decrees. Spencer, jealous of the 
seductive doctor’s attentions to the pretty widow, picks 
a quarrel with him, and sticks him under the fifth rib. 
But we won’t have these cussed apostates mussing up 
the streets of Zion with each other’s gore. The case 
against C. S. is perfectly clear, and as soon as the po- 
lice carry Robinson’s carcass away in the morning, a 
committee of citizens will wait on C. S. and string him 
;ip to the nearest telegraph pole.,’*’ 

“ There is no need of reading more of this. You see 
the purpose of these cutthroats ” 

“ Gh ! this is too horrible ! I could not believe that 
such demons existed here.” 

For a time he was entirely overcome. His nerves 
Avere still weak from the effects of recent sickness, and 
the appalling suddenness and atrocity of this crime 
in which he was marked for a victim, filled him with 
unutterable grief and dismay. 


280 


jEAGAE. 


After a while Langley prevailed on him to come to 
his house, and as they went along the Bishop tried to 
draw his thoughts from the tragedy by telling him the 
story of Hagar. 

Leaving Spencer to himself the Bishop roused one 
of his sons and sent him post haste to Camp Douglas 
Avith a message to (teneral Connor. The General and 
Langley were good friends, and as the message reached 
the former at daylight, telling him of Eobinson’s murder 
and the threats of mob violence to Spencer, he made a 
point of having a Company of Cavalry in the town by 
sun-rise. The day passed quietly though the mob gath- 
ered at the City Hall and Spencer's name was coupled 
;with the murder. 

Hagar, terrified as she was, forgot herself in minis- 
tering to the stricken wife and mother. Spencer came 
early to help and cheer them as best he could. 

The civil power was entireB^ in the hands of the Mor- 
mon authorities^ and the assassins Avere never punished. 
When Langley mentioned the matter to Brigham Young 
some weeks later the prophet merely said : 

^‘If it is the Lord’s will that his enemies are taken 
off, why let them rest in peace. When the wrath of 
tlie saints is kindled against the ungodlj', there must 
be some reason for it, and my idea is to let it work it- 
self out according to the Lord’s Avill. That’s always 
been my doctrine, and it’s worked first rate.” 

Langley took both Hagar and S])encer under his pro- 
tection and had it clearly understood that they were 
to be allowed to depart in peace from the Territory. 
As soon as the roads were open by the southern route, 
to California, Mrs. Eobinson and her cliildren went to 
her parents at Los Angeles, and a few days later the 
delayed mails arrived from the East. 

The truth about Hagar’s identity was kept sacred by 
her father and Spencer. The ideal affection for her 
which had taken possession of Langley before he knew 
AA^ho she Avas, lingered yet in his heart, chastened, and 
eloquent with good promptings to his mind. In her 
he saw the innocence and trust as Avell as the beauty 
of the Hope Vincent whom he had so cruelfy wronged, 
and he thought he detected also in her features a clear 
resemblance to himself. He was painfully conscious 


HAGAE. 


281 


that the children of his other wives were not like her 
in any respect, and felt a singular ])ride and satisfac- 
tion in the reflection that despite all her misfortune and 
sorrow she was a true woman with courage to die if 
need be rather than suffer dishonor. 

“ Poor Hope is gone,” he would say to himself when 
musing as to what course he should luirsue, “and 1 
l aai best atone for my injustice to her by dealing kindly 
and fairly with her child. tSpeiicer loves her, and 
nothing could tempt him to give her up. Brigham 
shall know nothing he does not know already, and she 
shall be spared an^^ further Imowledge about herself. 
They shall go and settle wherever they like, and I will 
help them.” 

Hagar’s friendship with Amelia, the Bishop’s young- 
est wife, was renewed, and her last days among the 
saints were passed in comparative peace and content- 
ment. The Bishop treated her with every mark of re- 
spect and consideration, and one day, in Spencer's lU’es- 
ence said to her : — 

“ Though you would hot accept me as a lover I shall 
always love you as if you were my own child ; and if 
ever I can serve you in any w^ay, you have only to com- 
mand me. ” 

The day after Ben Halliday’s stage arrived with the 
Eastern mail, which had been delayed some time by the 
impassable snows in the mountains, one of Spencer’s 
employers came into the store with letters and parcels. 

“Here is something for you, Spencer,” said he, hand- 
ing him a letter and a small express package. 

Spencer was surprised on opening them to find that 
they were both from James Taine. As soon as he could 
get away he hurried to Hagar with the good news. 
First he exhibited a superb gold watch. In looking- 
over his father’s papers, James said, he had found a 
draft of a letter intended for the young hero who saved 
him from the fire, and fulfilled his wish by forwarding 
the small memento of his admiration and esteem. The 
letter also contained an account of the writer being 
severely wounded at Murfreesboro on New Years day ; 
ol his promotion to the rank of colonel ; his enforced 
retirement from active service; of Mi^s. Taine’s death 
abroad, and his own return to Chestnut Grove where 


282 


HAGAE. 


he expected to pass the rest of his life as an invalid. In 
closing Col. Taine said : 

In your reply, my dear Spencer, please tell me what 
was the last you saw and heard of my dear foster-sister ? 
I have no doubt you felt a s^’mpathetic interest in her 
sad misfortune, and perchance, in your rambling some- 
thing may have transpired concerning her of a later 
date than anything we have. All trace of her from the 
time of Lamont’s arrest at Cincinnati is as completely 
lost as if the waves of the sea had closed over her. And 
yet I cling to the hope that she still lives, and that I 
shall sometime find her. 

“Dear good brother,’’ exclaimed Hagar. “And to 
think that he was wounded. ” She was silent for a mo- 
ment, and her half restrained emotion brought the tears 
to Spencer’s eyes. It was so sweet to know that loving 
hearts were beating yet with hope for her, but so bitter 
to realize how she had wronged the brother who loved 
her so tenderly. 

“To relieve Colonel Taine’s suspense dear Hagar, and 
to cheer him in his sadness, I will telegraph at once 
that you are here and safe. Have you not some special 
message you would like to send him ? ” 

“ Yes, love ; tell him that you are no longer a Mormon 
who cannot share his friendship ; that we shall soon 
leave Utah, and 

“I know the rest. Yes, I will go at once so that he 
may hear before this day passes, that you are safe. ” 

“ Wait a moment — let me helj) you write the dispatch, 
and we can send it to the office by one of the boys. ” 

The answer which came from Colonel Taine next day 
was a great surprise to the lovers, and caused Spencer 
no little uneasiness. In his own dispatch he had mod- 
estly abstained from any reference to Hagar’s relations 
to himself, merely stating that she was in Salt Lake 
City and that he would write full }>articulars by the 
first stage. Colonel Taine telegraphed a credit for 
1^500, and directed Spencer to help Hagar in her prep- 
arations for the long journey, and have her start for 
Chio as soon as the weather was sufficiently settled. 
He wished her to return to the old home at Chestnut 
Grove. 

“ Colonel Taine loved you, Hagar, and I believe he 


HAGAR, 


288 


will want to marry you, ’’ said Spencer while they were 
talking over the dispatch. 

Hagar was deeply touched by what she deemed the 
extraordinary magnanimity of her foster-brother, but 
said : 

No, James loves me only as a sister. His good heart 
is ready to forgive me for my shameful act ; but it can- 
not be : I could not go back to Chestnut Grove, nor in 
any way accept his help. ’’ 

As soon as Bishop Langley w'as informed of the com- 
munications which had passed between his proteges 
and Colonel Taine he went to Brigham Young. 

“Brother Brigham,’’ he said, “3'ou did well to deal 
gently with Sister Miles, and there’s nothing left for 
us now but to send her back with good grace to her 
friends. ” 

“Why so? What has happened. Brother Edwin?” 
asked the jjrophet qtiietly. 

Langle}' told him about the present to Spencer, the 
money and the dispatches. 

“ \ ery well ; let them be olf at once then. Their 
presence here is contaminating to the young. I have 
nothing special against the girl, but that miserable 
rebel, Spencer, is a stench in my nostrils. ” 

“ I admit that it is too bad ; but we cannot force them 
to start before the season is farther advanced and travel 
becomes more comfortable and safe. ” 

“What do you care for their comfort or safety? I 
have permitted your interference far enough in this 
case, but it can go no farther. The}" must leave here 
by the first stage or I will not be responsible for the 
consequences. ” 

“ Oh, very well — by the fn st stage on which they can 
get a passage; — that will be towards the end of June, 
an excellent season for travel.” 

The President did not like Bishop Langley’s demeanor 
but was Av ell-nigh defenceless. Langley’s shrewd and 
self-willed rersonality was too potent a factor in the 
affairs of Zion to be ignored ; even the President him- 
self had no wish to antagonize him, and ended by tell- 
ing him to do as he liked. Langley then said ; 

“ Spencer Avants to be set right about that bake-ket- 
tle incident. He says when he heard it mentioned in 


HAGAIi- 


the tabernacle as a miracle, he blushed to the roots of 
his hair. The delusion was very useful for the purposes 
of the train, but I think myself that the true explana- 
tion might now be given with advantage. ” 

“ What next will you wish to do for our fallow Judas, 
Edwin ? You are suddenly become as mild as butter- 
milk, whereas you were w^ont to be more like a draught 
of wormwood. No. It makes no difrei*ence how that 
miracle was performed. It was seen and believed of the 
people, and has become so deeply" rooted in their minds 
that it would require even a greater miracle to dispel 
it. When the people believe let them alone. They are 
as likely to be right in thinking it a thunderbolt from 
Heaven as you are in imagining that it was an explo- 
sive bake-kettle. Leave such quibbles to lawyers, and 
let the sakits have faith. 


CHAPTER XXIX. 


The day before the stage left which was to carry the 
young apostate and his Gentile sweetheart beyond the 
mystic bounderies of the Mormon Kingdom, Spencer 
sought a final interview with Bishop Langley. Several 
suspicious circumstances had arisen within the last few 
days which caused him considerable uneasiness, and 
there was serious reason for him to fear that he would 
not be suffered to depart without trouble. 

It was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a 
needle than for an apostate to get out of Zion in those 
days, and Spencer knew it well. He had seen the chil- 
dren throw stones at persons w'ho dared to cast off the 
Church yoke, and the ghastly story of poor Robinson’s 
fate still recurred to him with sickening vividness.* 
Xo,’^ said Langley, in reply to his question, “ Brigham 
knows nothing about that or other murders. He might, 
I believe, discover the assassins if he saw fit, but it is 
contrary fio his policy. He preaches blood-atonement, 
and believes in it : these crimes are the result. But 
while he wields absolute power as at present, and as he 
will continue to do for years to come, they will go unpun- 
ished, and there will be ten chances for a Mormon who 
kills an apostate to escape hanging, to one for a Gentile 
who is caught stealing a Mormon’s horse.’’ 

“ What do you think of our prospects. Bishop ? ” 

You will get away without further trouble, thanks to 
a lucky circumstance of which I have just learned : Gen- 
eral Connor is sending a Cavalry Company to escort a 
supply train from Fort Bridger, and has consented to 
have them travel to tliat point with the stage. It will 
make the (journey a few days longer, but your safety 
will be greatly increased. I have received a confirma- 
tion of the plot to ditch the stage at night in the Weber 
river, and I hope that the miscreants who have planned 
that job will just try to carry it out. But of course they 


The Robinsou case is historical, 


286 


HAGAE. 


will be warned of the picnic that has been prepared for 
them.’^ 

After telling Spencer that he would give him such h- 
nancial aid as he might need to make a start in life, and 
assuring him of the keen interest he should always feel 
in the success and happiness of himself and Hagar, the 
Bishop appeared greatly mollified by his reflections and 
said : — 

‘‘ What I have lately passed through has been a cruel 
and bitter experience. But I feel that it was a direct 
punishment inflicted upon me by Providence for my 
fiendish wiong to Hagar’s mother. It smites me now 
like a lash of adder’s stings laid on by an avengiug spir- 
it ! From the moment I met my daughter I felt a mys- 
terious change stealing into my heart — into my vei*y 
life’s blood, and ere long was ready to forsake every- 
thing else in this world for her. She w’as like a will-o’- 
the-wisp leading me on to my ruin, and I pursued until 
literally hurled in?o the yawning gulf. It is a w’onder I 
did not lose my mind — God has indeed been merciful. 
From that day I swore that I w^ould either die or mend 
my life. The solution came at last. That sw^eet girl 
whom I abandoned, cursed, and counted among the dead, 
has come here, brought by you, to save me from damna- 
tion, and to snatch you from a life like mine ! Oh, 
Charles ! you will cherish her with all the tenderness and 
sensibiliW of which you are capable. Lavish on her the 
sweetest and truest attributes of yLur nature, and 
soothe and guard her ever as your better self. The good 
wife is the good man’s visible soul — the immortal part 
of him which dwells beside him day by day and kee])s 
him in the right. Should you ever feei a pang because 
of the accident of her birth — 

Here the Bishop’s emotion choked him so that he 
could not proceed. 

Spencer, laying his hand on his shoulder, replied : 

^^No, Bishop Langley, your contrition is the only 
atonement you can make for that, and Hagar’s nobility 
of character leaves no room to doubt that, to whatever 
extent you wronged her mother, she, at least, was true.” 

“ Yes, I alone am guilty, and must sometime bear the 
imnishment for all the chain of evils that has resulted 
j'rom my act.” 


HAGAH. 


287 


He dwelt upon the moral aspects of his history, but 
made no attempt to excuse himself except on the ground 
of ignorance, and even retreating from that by admit- 
ting that his conscience warned him. Eeverting then to 
his Mormon experience, he continued : — 

“ I curse the day I went into polygamy even more 
than the day I pretended to accept Joe" Smith as a 
prophet. To be entirely frank with you, I have regarded 
the whole thing as a fraud from the first. I was wild, 
self-willed, ignorant, and nothing less extravagantly 
grotesque than Parley P., as I met him in Ohio, or tlie 
Saints as I found them in Nauvoo, could have satisfied my 
notions at that time. I held nothing sacred, and regardecl 
polygamy as a hugh joke like many others vdio secretly 
accepted it at Nauvoo. It may prosper so long as we 
are isolated as at present, but cannot stand contact 
with the world. Utah will never be admitted to the 
Union until this practice is abandoned, and a majority 
of the population will soon prefer the solid advantages 
of statehood to this sickening privelege, which is prac- 
tically the only inducement the Church now has to offer.’’ 

“I sincerely hope your prediction will be fulfilled. 
But a state with Brigham Young as its chief magis- 
trate would be, if possible, one step worse than the 
present regime. As matters stand the non-])olyga.mous 
majority which might, and probably does, at heart, pi*e- 
fer statehood to the privilege of plural marriage, is 
placed at a disadvantage.” 

Tha't is true,” replied Langley. “ Those of the major- 
ity are cowed by the polygamous minority ; and every 
time Brigham threatens them for failing to fulfil their 
obligations to the church, they hurry into pol.ygamy as 
if afraid the lightning might strike them if they diso- 
beyed. The European peasant element, which is neces- 
sarily ignorant and oblivious of American customs and 
ideas, is led or driven at will ; and (luckily, perhaps), like 
the crowd everywhere, they ^ lack gall to make oppres- 
sion bitter.’ Being under momentary obligations to the 
church fund for emigration or other favors, they shut 
their eyes to the injustice and tyranny of tlie priesthood, 
knowing that their present interests are best subserved 
by their silent obedience. Hypocrisy walks with bold 
and shameless front in high places. In my recent specu- 


288 


HAGAR. 


lations one of niy thouj?hts has been to raise a party for 
statehood and monogamy. In a covert way I hinted my 
plan to several of my intimates whom I know to be mere 
time-servers, taking care to egg them on without disclos- 
ing my secret. They could criticise in a whisper, oh ! 
yes, and say plainly enough in the dark what they 
thought of this and that, and how they disapproved thus 
and so. But their eagerness for pickingjs outweighs 
their convictions. They prefer present ease and safety 
at the cost of self-respect, to an honest manhood at the 
expense of court favor. I shall, therefore, secede alone, 
and set my house to rights in my own way. I will pro- 
vide honestly for my wives and children, but will no 
longer live in open defiance of my countiy’s laws to 
keep the favor of a despotic priesthood.” 

This announcement was wholly unexpected, and for 
a moment Spencer gazed at the Bishop with mute sur- 
prise. 

“This is a sudden resolution — one that you have 
formed since ” 

“ Since Hagar came ! Ah ! God knows I am peni- 
tent, and that I humbly pray for forgiveness ! I told my 
daughter she was an angel sent to save me, though 1 
could not then see in what lay my salvation. Polygamy 
has wrought nothing but misery. ‘ The abomination of 
desolation,’ even King Solomon the wise was ruined by 
it. Its effect is to pam])er the baseness of man’s nature, 
and at last damn him like any other great sin. It has 
chained me body and soul. But, as I was among the first 
to give my support to the error, I should not now com- 
l)lain if I reap a large share of the punishment. The 
sweet face of my winnged child is the mirror in which 
I see what a villain I have been.” 

Edwin Langley’s remorse was genuine, and before the 
stage which bore the young couple over the plains had 
reached the Missouri river, Zion was shaken to its cen- 
ter by his public renunciation. 

The night before they started he could not sleep, but 
paced his room goaded by unhappy reflections, and 
liatching plans for the future. 

Next morning he went early to Ben Halliday’s office 
and arranged all details for the long and perilous jour- 
ney. A crowd began to gather in the street hours be- 


HAGAR. 


289 


fore the stage was expected to start, and as the day 
advanced there were so many symptoms of disorder, 
that Bishop Bangley and the young travellers were 
l elieved when it was announced that a squadi’on of cav- 
alry was coming. Not until then would the Bishop 
allow Hagar or Spencer to leave the house. There 
was a tearful scene of leave-taking at the Bishop’s, and 
while driving to Halliday’s Langley remarked to Hagar 
that he hoped she would not go away hating him or 
others she had seen in Zion. 

“No, Bishop Langley,” replied Hagar, “I haven’t 
much capacity for hating ; but I shall always think 
kindly and gi’atefull}^ of you for yonr goodness to us. 
I am sorry for all who suffer, and your religion (I mean 
pol3^gamy) seems to bring only miser}’ to those who 
l)ractice it. A state of wretchedness is bad enough 
when it comes as one of the accidents of life; but it 
seems to me not only a folly but a crime to make wretch- 
edness the foundation of a system, and to call such a sys- 
tem divine. I pity the sorrowing women and the neg- 
lected childi’en, and pray for misguided men not only 
here but everywhere, for my feeling towards them is 
that of sympathy rather than hate.” 

“Yours is a rare and heavenly soul,” said Langley. 

“ No, I only strive to give others w’hat I know that I 
require myself.” 

“ Then, in your benevolence, will you not sometimes 
think and pray for me ? ” 

They were nearing the stage station and the loud 
blast of a bugle warned them that the stage was about 
to start. There was a weak attempt at cheering by 
the crowd as the Bishop’s carriage drew up, but at a ges- 
ture from Langley the mob gave way and the young 
people who were the object of so much vulgar curiosity, 
were enabled to gain their ])laces in the coach. At a 
second blast from the bugle apportion of the Cavalry 
formed in the street ahead of the stage, the rest closed 
up the rear and the procession moved off at a good pace 
towards Emigration Canon, a narrow gorge leading 
through the mountains on the eastern side of the valley. 

The fatigues and discomforts incident to that lonely 
and perilous journey through the American Y ilderness 
are not to be equalled now. The old Concord jogged 


290 


HAGAE. 


along both night and day, the horses or mules being 
changed at intervals of from twelve to twenty miles, 
and the stops and stations were usually brief. With 
few exceptions the stations consisted of a solitary 
stockade built of logs in the mountains, and of mud on 
the plains, and there were not more than half a dozen 
places between the Mormon Capital and the Missouri 
river where anything appioaching a wholesome meal 
was to be obtained. For the most part, bacon, corn 
dodgers and coffee were the staple diet. But it takes 
an Argonaut of those good old days to appreciate the 
luxurious palace cars and the sumptuous refreshment 
stations which have long since superseded the swaying 
Concord, and the grizzly stockade. 

In the course of those monotonous stretches over 
plains that were like the sea, and along mountain roads 
where the sensations of the traveller alternated between 
uphill and downhill weariness, Hagar first learned how 
delicate, thoughtful and kind Charles Spencer really was. 
She bore the hardships of the pilgrimage with becoming 
fortitude, and put the other passengers (all of whom 
were men,) on their metal by her unfailing good nature. 
It was undoubtedly due to this spirit of contentment 
that she reached her destination in such excellent con- 
dition after a task which severely tested the endurance 
of strong men. 

One fine day in July the old coach was ferried over 
the broad Missouri, and drove up to the little town of 
Council Blufi's. The first news the passengers heard 
was that Vicksburg had been captured by General 
Grant, and that General Lee had been repulsed at Get- 
tysburg; and as Hagar stepped out of the stage she 
found herself in the arms of a Union officer. It was 
James Taine. 

Colonel Taine had become so familiar with Western 
life and character in his youth that he was not at all 
suprised to hear that all the passengers had vied with 
each other in the gallant deference of their demeanor 
towards Hagar. He had secured the best available 
accommodations at the hotel for her, and w^as so bright 
and lively that she soon forgot the chain of sad mem- 
ories that was aw^akened by this unexpected meeting. 
Spencer grasped his hand warmly and said : — 


HAGAR 


m 


ask you now for what I once refused you. The 
wall of icy bigotry which then held my heart has been 
melted away. ” 

^‘We shall be friends — nay, brothers, till death.” 

James was determined that no reference to Hagar’s 
misfortune should be made if he could prevent it. 

So, like a true missionary, ” he said to Hagar when 
they reached their apartments at the hotel, ‘^you re- 
turn bearing your sheaf wdth you?” 

His good nature was contagious. 

‘‘1 am not her only convert,” said Spencer. ^^She 
counts a Bishop and I do not know how many lesser 
magnates of the priesthood to whom she brought a 
light before unknown to them. ” 

“Well, I am delighted. Before your first telegram 
came in reply to my letter I was so depressed about 
Hagar’s fate that my wounds would not heal, and I was 
in danger of fatal consequences. From that day I be- 
gan to mend, and this meeting has effected a complete 
cure. If it were not for my game arm I should not 
know 1 had been hit, and would feel called upon to 
hug you both. ” 

His left arm was still carried in a sling, a portion of 
the bone above the elbow having been removed. 

During the evening plans were discussed, and Colonel 
Taine would not listen to anything which did not begin 
with a visit to Chestnut Grove. 

“The place is desolate and wants cheering up. It is 
Hagar's home, and will be alwfiy^ whether she is 
married or single. ” 

Spencer had serious scruples against anything which 
seemed like dependance, and would only consent to a 
temporary visit to the Colonel on the condition that 
he and his wife were to be left to their own resources 
as soon as the marriage ceremony was performed. 

With this understanding they took the ti’ain for 
Cleveland. 


OHAPTEK XXX. 


During. the siege of Vicksburg there was a hot com- 
bat one evening on the banks of the Big IBack river 
between a scouting party under Brig. (General Pliilip 
Leigh and a Rebel force which had mysteriously found 
cover in the woods at the Union rear. The lighting was 
at close range and, in part, hand to hand. The Confed- 
erates were i)ut to flight, but not until many men on 
both sides had perished. Xear the close of the flght 
General Leigh w’as pierced by a musket-ball and fell 
from his horse. The surgeon to whom he was carried 
by some of his loving comrades thought the wound was 
mortal, but an ambulance with a strong guard was dis- 
patched with all haste to take him to one of the held 
hospitals in front of Vicksburg. 

In gathering up the wounded late at night another 
oflicer in Union dress was found whom none could 
identify. He was removed with others to a fleld hos- 
pital next day, and when a train of wounded was sent 
Xorth a little later to escape the di*eadful heat, both he 
and General Leigh were taken to the great Union Hos- 
pital at Covington. 

From some of the Rebels who were captured it was 
learned that the expedition had been sent to carry out a 
device, formed by its Commander, to abduct or murder 
General Grant. Xone of them could or would tell who 
the Commander of the Rebel force was, or who had sent 
it on its mission of treachery, but it was ascertained 
that many of the officers and men were clad in the 
uniform of Union Soldiers, and that the contingent was 
composed of some of the worst desperadoes in Bragg’s 
army. 

When General Leigh began to feel well enough to pay 
any attention to his surroundings he was interested in 
the gossip of the attendants on the subject of the Rebel 
bushwhacker who had been picked up as one of the 
Union wounded and was one of the patients in Orchard 
Ward No. 7^ where the General lay. The ward was a 


HAGAK. 


293 


tent of the new liospital type, and contained six beds. 
I>y the time he was able to get up there were no other 
patients left in the ward except himself and the Con- 
federate, and the latter had only begun to spe^ak intelli- 
gibly within a few days. One day while the doctors 
were removing the bandages from the stranger’s head 
G eneral Leigh went to the bedside and was nonplussed 
on finding that the man was none other than the . 
Mr. Smiles. The blond hair and beard were long and 
unkempt, and the face bore marks of suffering, but there 
was no doubt of the man’s identity and General Leigh 
experienced much difficulty in suppressing the exclam- 
ation of surprise that rose to his lips. He reflected 
that here was a kind of retribution. 

On the cot before him, with sightless eyes and life 
fast ebbing away, lay the betrayer of the innocent 
Hagar ; and the Rebel bandit whose well-matured plan 
to murder the Union Commander at Vicksburg, he him- 
self had frustrated by the narrowest chance and almost 
at the cost of his life. The case supplied him an inter- 
esting subject for speculation, and served to render his 
own captivity less irksome. It was in vain that 
Hoctor liruce advised him to make the journey by slow 
stages to his home near Cleveland, for he was deter- 
mined to remain in the hospital until he should be able 
to return to the field of action. 

A few days later Lamont began to show' symptoms of 
improvement and became very talkative. At first he 
would only speak in French, and when General Leigh 
asked him in that tongue if he knew^ wTiere he was, he 
said : — 

“ Yes, I am in New Orleans. I have struck the blow 
that saved our cause, and from this long sleep I shall 
soon w'ake to see the South triumphant. Won’t you 

take off this bandage, Doctor ? ” 

I am a fellow'-invalid.” said the General, but I heard 
the doctors say that the bandage must remain across 
your eyes for the present.” 

“But I wdll have it off!” exclaimed Lamont. He 
seized the bandage wdth his bony fingers and tore it off. 
“What’s the matter? Is it night? Where’s the light? 
Where are you ? By this he had raised himself to a 


294 


HAGAR 


sitting posture and stretched forth his emaciated arms 
feeling out in every direction. 

“I would advise you to be patient. We are in a 
Union hospital, and you are suffering from a wound on 
the head which temporarily affects your sight. There 
is no attendant here just now and you may injure your- 
self. ’’ 

“ Am I blind ? ” demanded Lament. 

“ Temporarily, yes ; but if you will be quiet a moment 
I will call an attendant, from whom you may hear more 
definitely about your situation. ” 

As General Leigh went out Lamont brushed his 
hands across his e^'es uneasily ,and said to himself : 

Is it so bad as this ! Am I deprived of that 
blessed sense without which the world is a blank and 
barren mystery ? Oh, God ! rather let me die than live 
like this in utter blackness. It is worse than anything 
I had ever conceived.” 

As the days went by Lamont became very friendly 
and confidential toward his invisible companion, and 
the assurance given him by the doctors that he would 
almost certainly recover his sight with his restoration 
to health, made him so cheerful that he appeared to 
have regained a measure of the buoyancy and good na- 
ture which had characterized his impersonation of the 
Eev. Mr. Smiles. Philip found him a decidedly inter- 
esting study. Lamont guessed from his accent, that 
he was a native of the South, and Philip took care to 
state that he was fnm Louisiana leaving the confeder- 
ate to infer that he had found a colleague as well as a 
compatriot in the Union Hospital. The intimacy grew 
apace, and one day Lamont gave a full account of the 
jdot he was about to execute at Vicksburg when his 
force was surprised and overthrown. 

One night when Lamont was fast aslee]) the General 
sat musing beside his pallet and fell into this vein of re- 
fiection : ‘^Here is my opportunity to acquaint myself 
with the career of this libertine, and I shall practice 
whatever deceit I find necessary to draw him out. I 
feel a strange and fascinating curiosity to pry into the 
life of this man who lias made himself so perfect a 
villain, and at any cost 1 must know the secret of his 
stay at Newberg when I unwittingly made him an in- 


HAGAR. 


295 


valid, and left him there to become Josephine’s patient 
and guest. This is a test within my grasp, and I have 
a right to make it — at the peril of weal or woe. ” 

He spent a miserably restless night, and next day 
after making a tour about the hospital grounds returned 
to the ward. Taking a chair quite near Lament’s cot 
he said: 

. ‘‘Well, I have come back to hear something more 
about your adventures. I find it infernally dull here. 
I always was a bad one to endure confinement or pain, 
and am more than ever of opinion that a musket ball 
through the body is not a first-class nerve remedy if 
the patient happens to live. ” 

You have at least one advantage over me. You can 
see what is going on about you, and if you should get a 
letter from your wife and sweetheart you wouldn’t have 
to ask the footman to read it for you.” 

The General was aware that a negro had called with 
several messages, and listened attentively. Lament 
went on : 

For my own part, I should be as meek as a dove 
and as patient as a lamb if I eoiild only see the sweet- 
voiced angels whose presence here at times seems to per- 
fume the air. Some of my most pleasant moments have 
been passed in a sick room where I was the interesting 
invalid, anTl Beauty danced attendance beside my bed. 
But, I am sorry to say that my susceptibility in the di- 
rection of the fair sex is about to cost me rather dear.” 

“ Yes ? how so ? Are you a faltering Benedict who is 
to receive his chastisement in kind ? ” 

“ Oh no — ^my wife is another Lucrece, but she has 
found me out and insists upon taking a ridiculously se- 
rious view of the matter.” 

‘^What a pity it is that some women and often very 
good ones at that, will persist in regarding our peccadil- 
los as venal.” 

Perhaps my wife has better cause than most of them 
to complain, for my last conquest, which happened at 
the North while I was executing a special commission, 
created an uncomfortable scandal in which my real 
name, and so on, figured somewhat too prominently. I 
was travelling, of course, under a nom de guerre : you 
may have heard of the case, some months back, at Cleve- 


206 


HAGAR. 


land, Ohio ? The iS'orthern papers were full of it, and 
it was circulated all over the South as the elopement of a 
Confederate spy with an old Yankee parson’s daughter.” 

Y"es,” said Philip, with affected urbanity, ‘‘ Yes, 1 
have heard of it — ^an interesting episode, I should say.” 

“Very — and that adventure was interwoven from its 
beginning almost to the end with another hardly less ab- 
sorbing.” 

“ Is it possible ? ” As General Leigh said this he ex- 
perienced a sensation of deadly sickness. A sudden 
chill seized him for an instant, then left him with his 
teeth almost chattering, and his hands and feet as cold 
as ice. 

Before Lament could resume his talk the negro, Colt, 
came in, bearing a letter and a small parcel which he 
took to the invalid. General Leigh got up with the in- 
tention of withdrawing, but Lament hearing his move- 
ment, said : — “ Stay, my friend. Colt only brings a cur- 
tain lecture in cold ink, which I am going to ask you to 
read f or me. This gentleman here, Colt, is a scholar and 
man of the world who is perfectly congenial to me. He 
is going to help me to set things right, if I need any help. 
Now, what message from m}^ fair lady to-day ? Any 
hope of reconciliation ? The doctor said yesterday that 
there would be no objection to her coming to see me now, 
and the children also ; but if she will not come herself 
she might, at least send them. What did she say in an- 
swer to my submissive greeting ? ” General Leigh said 
lie would be back presently, and went outside. 

“ Madam is in a sad state of despondency, sir, and sent 
no message to-day except that she would permit one of 
the children to visit you if you thought it perfectly safe. 
But she says that the odors about a hospital are very un- 
healthy, and that she is afraid that either of the children 
might receive a dangenous shock from seeing you 
stretched upon this pallet in your present distress.” 

“ Pshaw ! a child would know nothing of my condi- 
tion, it would be satisfied when told that I am lying 
down with a headache. But did you tell her all the 
details of my last enterprize, how I labored and planned 
to ruin the Y^ankee armies in Mississippi, and how I 
have suffered since my fall — all of which I have done 
and endured as an atonement for my sins to her ? Are 
you sure you made it all clear ? ” 


HAGAK. 


297 


f I am, sir/’ replied Colt,*’ and she was greatly moved 
by it. But, as I told you yesterday, the torn letter in 
your handwriting which Mrs. Green brought to her 
after the ghost-like visit of that j^oung woman, who 
declared that you had ruined her, did more to embitter 
her against you than everything else combined. It 
was a misfortune that madam ever went to that house. 
But she took the matter into her own hands sir, and 
I was unable to prevent it. ” Colt, who was a tall and 
line looking man with a very slight tincture of Cau- 
casian blood in his veins, quietly wiped away a tear. 

^‘Well, never mind, Colt. Hurry back and tell your 
mistress that my only hope is that she will forgive me. 
I shall make no arguments against the genuineness of 
letters or other evidence that is intended to ruin me, but 
3 ^ou can bear in mind that for aught she knows, these 
things are forgeries — 

‘‘I am sorry, sir, very sorry, but she has compared 
this letter with several of those she received from you 
at about the same time, and found the writing iden- 
tical. But, not satisfied with her own judgment she 
called at a leading bank with the two specimens of 
your hand-writing, and submitted them to an expert 
who declared that both were undoubtedly written by 
the same hand, and apparently at the same sitting. I 
must, therefore, tell you frankly, sir, that there is much 
more hope that she will pardon you than that she will 
believe von innocent.” 

'' Well then, tell her that I cast myself uncondition- 
ally at her feet where I shall remain and perish unless 
she stretches forth her hand to raise me up. The doc- 
tors agree that I shall recover my sight when they are 
able to remove a clot of blood which temporarily en- 
cumbers the nerves at the base of the brain. Hence 1 
shall not be a wretched blind-man who cannot find his 
load away from home, but a good, o’d-fashioned, bour- 
geois husband who will henceforth seek for beauty 
only in his wife's boudoir. Yes, Colt, I shall turn over a 
new leaf, and do my best to regain her esteem and re- 
spect, which I have so justly forfeited. Hurry back 
and tell her all this, and bring at least one of my dar- 
lings as soon as you can. I guess by that poor devil’s 
moaning that the doctors are in the next tent, so they 


298 


HAGAR. 


will call here in a moment. Assure Mrs. Lament of 
my humble submission and my abject penitence — (to a 
religious woman like her, you cam’t say too much about 
penitence, you know, Colt,) and tell her that 1 am in 
a frenzy to see the babies. You ought to get back 
here with them in an hour, for the hospital smells are 
most v>tfeusive to those from the outside, towards even- 
ing. ’’ 

“ It will take about an hour and a half but I shall not 
lose a moment. In this small parcel is the J ohnny-cake 
you wished Dinah to send you. She said it was made 
in the home style.^^ 

Thank good old Dinah for me,’^ said Lamont, taking 
the packet in his hand, “ and now be otf ; remember, 
you can not make it too forcible that I am dying to see 
the children, for there is nothing that is so gratifying to 
a good mother as proofs of the father’s affection for 
her children, and mine, you know, is genuine and sin- 
cere.” 

A doctor now entered the tent and sat down at La- 
mont’s bedside. Colt hurried away, having left the par- 
cel that contained a piece of Johnny-cake from old 
Dinah, on the table. 

“Good day. Doctor,” said Lamont, after the surgeon 
had greeted liim. “ I want you to inform me if there is 
anything in the medical code which renders this con- 
traband?” He had torn the paper from the square 
chunk of johnny-cake, and held it towards the doctor. 

“ Not that I am aware of,” he replied. 

“ Then I may eat it ? ” 

“Yes, provided you do not take too much at a time.” 

“Thanks, doctor, thanks. I only wish we could get 
up a little miracle by which to prescribe a two pound 
loaf of slimilar quality to each hungry “ Johnny” on the 
Southern side of Mason and Dixon’s line !” 

The doctor remained with him about half an hour, 
talking quietly, and observing his case, which the physi- 
cians considered an extremely interesting one. After 
he went out and the attendant had put things to rights 
about the ward, General Leigh came in. 

Lamont was even more loquacious than before. “ What 
do you think I have here ? ” lie asked holding up the loaf 
of johnny-cake. 


HAGAR 


299 


“ Something from home, I presume/’ 

Yes, and its delicious aroma calls up pleasant mem- 
ories of days when the South was happy — when, in 
place of the sulphur fumes of battle, Ave had the air 
perfumed Avith the breath of sweet tloAvers and of lovely 
Avomen ; — when, instead of the shrieks and groans of 
wounded and dying men, we heard only laughter and 
song.” 

Soon drifting away from these poetic memories he be- 
gan again about his exploits, and told how he had been 
A’lictimized by designing women. 

“ That is the only way to put (it,” said he, for they 
claim that Ave are irresistible, and we must set up a 
counter claim. Mine is that they are irresistable.” 

‘‘Perfectly A^alid, I should say — perfectly so. And it 
is clear that your conquests among the fair have been 
many and terrible.” 

“ Many — ^and — blissful to them — terrible to me — now 
that I am found out. I shall want your help. It needs 
a scholar to induce a woman to see these matters in 
their proper light. If I hadn’t been raised a priest I 
should enlist the good offices of one of that trade ; but 
they have a pious habit of pressing negotiations some- 
what too far on their own account, so that I prefer a 
scholar — 

“In spite of your eventful life it is clear that you 
have yet had time for obserAmtions somewhat critical.” 
“ Well, yes,” continued Lament. “ By nature I was a 
moralist. But early in life I bumped my head against 
destiny in such a way as to make me see stars, and there 
has been an “im” before my morality ever since My 
friend, whether you be young or old, beware yourself 
and let your sons and daughters beware of any man 
or set of men Avhose positions depend, not upon their 
character or thedr good works, but upon their talent for 
cringing^ their taste for hypocrisy, and, especially, their 
devilish love of intrigue. The favors of women in these 
days to their ante-nuptial lovers are admittedly most gen- 
erous, but those they accord to their priests extend to 
the full period of their halcyon days.” 

“ This is no parable ; ” observed Philip. “ Come, come, 
a case in point. You say that you were raised as one of 
these holy men ? ’’’ 


300 


HAGAR 


“ Yes, and for that reason, I shall have nothing more 
explicit to say in this connection/’ 

But what about ^ the favors of women to ante-nuptial 
lovers ? ’ ” 

Of that presently. But I want to tell you now that 
I have taken soundings on the moral question. A short 
sentence solves the riddle. There are lliree insti- 
tutions in this country which are absolutely controlled 
by women, namely : Fashion, Expense, and Morals. 
Concerning the first and second, I may write a book 
later in life, but of the last here is the verdict : Women 
foster immorality in a variety of ways, — ^by their own 
wantonness ; by defective training of their children ; 
by their toleration and admiration of the most aban- 
doned libertines, and by giving themselves up to vicious 
lives. I speak as an expert, and as one who should have 
been a moralist but for the accident to which I have al- 
ready alluded. For as my favorite Armstrong sang : — 

“Virtue 

Is sense and spirit with humanity ; 

’Tis sometimes angry, and its frown confounds; 

’Tis even vindictive, hut in vengeance just. 

Knaves fain would laugh at it ; some great ones dare; 

But at his heart the most undauiittal son 

Of Fortune dreads its name aiul awful^chaims.’^ 

Every woman is the architect of her own morality, 
and no man can add a particle of material to the struct- 
ure without her permission. You are not one of the 
common herd who will laugh at hearing morals dis- 
cussed by a worldling, for you can thoroughly appreciate 
the saw, that ‘ it takes a thief to catch a thief.’ No man 
can size you up the frailties of Avoman like a holy priest, 
as none other grows so fat upon them.” 

While admitting the general truth of your remarks, 
T submit that you seem to speak with something resem- 
bling the rancor of an apostate whenever you pronounce 
the name of ^ priest.’ I confess that for personal rea- 
sons there is associated Avith the thing more than the 
name, in my mind, something loathsome and accursed : 
but I am curious to knoAv Avhy it acts as so serious an 
irritant to one who is Sir Placidity with regard to most 
other subjects. The Republic offers a free field for all 
men to 'ply their trade, you know, and I have no doubt 
that the Confederacy will do likewise, when it is estab- 
lished.” 


HAGAR. 


301 


It is the women in the case that irritate me. Every 
honest man must have a woman, and no man could get 
more than one at a time if women were what they should 
be. But the priest being denied the one which is his just 
due becomes a brute by taking such viands as are offered 
alon^ the shady paths of his dark life, and daily trespass- 
ing on other’s moors. Being outwardly the custodian 
of morals, he is secretly the victim of the seductive 
aberrations of his patients. The Middle Age barbar 
ism, of which he is the logical product, is being per- 
petuated here inside high walls and castles with laby- 
rinths of secret passages where sealed lips and broken 
hearts keep forever the hideous mysteries which are 
blacker than those of the grave. You might laugh as 
I have often done, could you but hear a model abolition- 
ist orator prate about giving the thick-skinned African 
his freedom, while thousands of tender victims of his 
own blood are sent to the ghostly prisons which frown 
on every e^ninence in the land by the mandates of a for- 
eign despot. And for what? My friend, time is long 
and the gods never peach upon the serpent ways of 
men. It takes a Garibaldi to lay them bare, and nations 
should learn the lesson taught by the spectacle. These 
poor fools who are immolated with so much holy pomj) 
are the w^orst of all slaves, held in bondage to give a 
fiendish lie a pestilent life. The dumb foreign minions 
who toil here and grow sleek under the Latin lash of 
the prince of tyrants, are by him deprived of rights and 
liberties which are theirs by virtue of our laws ; and 
(O ! sweet Consistency !), while the North looks on and 
smiles at this iniquity, it cuts our throats for keeping 
the blacks in chains ! ” 

You are becoming interesting,” said General Leigh, 
surprised at the warmth of this man, whom he thought 
a strange mixture of talent and perversity, upon so ec- 
centric a theme. You have certainly struck the true 
channel in this case when you reduce it to a question of 
the right of a foreign power to corporeal control over 
our citizens.” 

Exactly. If I attain to a post of influence in the Con- 
federacy, as I no doubt shall, I shall champion a law to 
forbid wherever our power extends, the imposition 
of monastic vows or monastic life upon either men or 


302 


Hi.GAR. 


women. It should be done for the same reason and in 
the same spirit as that which moved the English Go\ - 
ernment in India to abolish the infamous suttee and the 
horrid Car of Juggernaut ; and as that which moves the 
North to legislate against Mormon polygamy. For 
men and women will do anything, no matter how mon- 
strous, under the pressure of priestly dictation and the 
insidious monitions of superstition. They want pro- 
tection from themselves, from their ignorance and stu- 
pidity as well as from robbers and assassins. Let theo- 
logies flourish so long as they may, but in the name of 
decency let us prune them of their exotic Dark Age 
fungi if they are to exist within the reach of our laws.” 

Lamont continued talking for some time on this sub- 
ject, and finally said : — 

‘‘ But, I must I'eturn to my own little story.” 

“ Yes, to the‘ parallel adventure.’ ” 

I had gone to Ohio to bring back a traitor — ^the son 
of old Captain Leigh who was recently killed on one of 
Bayous. The youngster had settled down, and mar- 
i*ied a woman whom I had known well as a girl. She 
was to be educated in a convent and I was a novitiate 
not far ott*. She was beautiful. I told her that I was 
going to stay in the world for her sake, or else she must 
leave it for mine. Well, I don’t know which was the 
most tempted, but we both fell — As Lamont con- 
tinued in his calm narrative style. General Leigh looked 
as if he had been struck dumb, and sat staring at him 
with eyes glaring like those of an infuriated animal. 

It was only a little bit of a sin, but the poor girl, poor 
Josephine, was inconsolable, and disappeared the same 
day entirely out of my sight. I never met her again 
until I went to Leigh’s house one evening prior to hav- 
ing him forwarded to the South. In the melee I was 
knocked down and badly hurt, and dwelt there with 
her as her patient for a month. Strange, wasn’t it?” 

‘‘Yes, very,” replied the general. Though racked 
by a miserable feeling of dread, he was determined 
to hear this tale to the bitter end. 

“ After I had been there a few days, I began to fancy 
that she had recognized me, though I had changed so 
much that it was absurd for me to suppose such a thing. 
Her distant and abstracted manner was entrancing. 


HAGAR 


303 


She was like the moon, shedding her soft and gentle 
radiance all around, but keeping herself clean out of 
reach. I was never more impressed with a woman’s 
superiority, but I determined to put her to the test. There 
was no opportunity for this experiment until later, 
for my bonny little Hagar was constantly there, and 
seemed to copy the other’s dignified graciousness while 
all the time loving me to distraction. At length an oc- 
casion presented itself the vei^ evening before I 
left Ohio and took Hagar to Canada. I never entered 
upon a conquest with more spirit and determination. 
Going to the house quite early in the evening, I soon 
ascertained that she was entirely alone, and took pre- 
cautions to prevent an interruption. She never looked 
so well. She was really superb. I am an expert 
in these things, you know, and ‘^superb” is not too 
strong a term. Had she been some Spanish donna 
dressed to receive her lover she could not have been 
more bewitchingly sweet to look upon.” 

^^It must have been a vivid picture to so imi)ress a 
man of your experience.” 

^‘Yes, it was — ^it was a vivid picture. I happened 
to have with me a splendid diamond ring which I had 
given her at Vicksburg where our last meeting had ta- 
ken place, and which she had abandoned to one of my 
friends after she had “stooped to folly.” This I de- 
termined to offer her again, but she refused it, and 
parried every effort I could make to gain her sympathy. 
The night was wearing out, and I was compelled to re- 
treat in a state of inglorious disgust.” 

“ Why did she not kill you ? ” asked Philip, with a 
look which indicated the struggle that was taking place 
within him. 

“ She would have done so, but there was no weapon at 
hand more formidable than her bodkin. She assailed 
me with that, and, of course, I was more importunate 
than ever. That is what I call my negative adventure — 
there’s not another exactly like it in my catalogue.” 

“ A man would be a brute to wrong a woman like that.” 

“ Oh g all is fair in love and war, you know,” replied 
Lament. 

“ Treachery at all times and under all circumstances 
is unfair; and I hold that a deserter w^ho delivers his 


304 


HAGAR; 


comrades up to slaughter, is a milder type of villain 
than a man who has the heart to ruin and abandon the 
woman he pretends to love.” 

“ And yet, would you believe it, her husband, who w^as 
a brave and gallant fellow (and is still it* he’s above 
ground) treated her like a drab ? But lor all that I be- 
lieve he loved her, and I know that she worships him. 
There’s not a truer or more beautiful woman living, 
but it seems that a suspicion or ]jositive knowledge 
of her ante nuptial sin has damned her in his sight. We 
have all heard of such cases, of course ; but, as a rule, 
the interested parties come to grief after a day or two, 
or exist together in life-long misery. Here is a case 
in which the man should forget and be happy ; perhaps 
he might if he only knew the truth ; and I have thought 
since my discovery that I would sometime write an 
anonymous letter to Leigh to tell him what a jewel he is 
trampling under foot. But now that I have such a 
troublesome kettle of fish at home, I am afraid I shall 
not be able to do much in the role of domestic pacifi- 
cator.” 

As Lamont went on in this strain General Leigh was 
suffering the most poignant agony of spirit. Every 
feeling of hatred or vengeance he had experienced to- 
wards his stricken foe, was passing away, and he 
thought now only of oblivion foy himself. In that dense 
mist of confusion and shame which seemed to envelope 
him. his life presented neither charm nor hope, and the 
one attractive possibility ahead was to court death on 
the nearest battle-field. Summoning a few brief words 
of apology he turned away and walked outside the 
tent. 

Towards eyening the negro, Colt, returned with a 
message that his mistress was overcome by her hus- 
band’s contrition and the sufferings he was enduring 
for the sacred cause of the South, and had determined, 
if she could get permission, to visit the hospital the 
following day with her children. 

At dusk General Leigh went in. A candle was burn- 
ing on the table near Lamont’s cot and the wounded 
man was rolling about restlessly. The General resumed 
his former place and said after making a common-place 
remark about the threatening weather of the evening : — 


HAGAR. 


305 


^‘What became of the old parson’s daughter after 
you left her ? ” 

I don’t know. She probably took the common road, 
the only one that is, ordinarily, open to women who 
stoop to folly,” and ‘^find too late that men betray.” 
But life’s too short to speculate on the fate of these 
dainty atoms in the great cosmic laboratory. Poor 
little thing ! She might, quite possibly, have met with 
a worse fate, for she had suitors two, when I found 
her, — one a farmer’s bumpkin of the neighborhood, 
the other a mendicant Mormon elder. These were my 
rivals. But the girl was an honest little creature, and 
I admit that I had to play an unfair game.” 

General Leigh was silent. 

“But noW), my friend,” continued Lament, “You 
must help me. In si)ite of the rather eccentric route I 
have pursued through life, I feel a lingering tender- 
ness for my faithful wife, and something akin to 
adoration for her children. For a year I have not 
seen them, and Colt biings me word that she will 
come here to-morrow to lay her dealr hand on my 
miserable head and forgive all my sins. The hope of 

this meeting thrills me with a transport of joy 1 

wish the wind wouldn’t howl like that — ^lias it put out 
the light ? ” 

“No,” replied General Leigh, “the attendants have 
made all secure. The draf t we feel here comes througli 
the cracks in the floor and is not likely to affect the 
light much. ” 

“But the rain is coming through ; I hear it dropping. ” 
“ The first heavy shower in one of these sudden 
storms will send a spray through the best of canvas ; 
but, when once wet, a tent like this is as good as 
iron for a steady down-ponr.” 

“ Do you think it will soon pass over ? ” Asked 
Lament nervously, as a rattling thiinder-clai) seemed 
to linger just above the tent roof. 

“ Oil, yes : these squalls never last long, I believe. ” 
“ If you were never deprived of your sight, you can- 
not imagine how horrible it is to lie here helplessly 
and have the lightning flash through your very brain. 
There must be little the matter with my eyes, for 
before each roar of the thunder this place lights up 


306 


HAGAE. 


with the glare of a furnace. You will not leave me 
till the storm subsides ? 

'' No. I shall not go outside again to-night, and am 
in no hurry to retire.” 

As if oppressed by a presentiment of evil, Lamont 
found it impossible to pursue the subject of conversa- 
tion he had begun, and kept reverting to the changing 
aspects of the storm. At one moment the rain came 
down in sheets, and, as it lulled, flash on flash of light- 
ning seemed to annihilate material things and take 
entire possession of the world. The thundeii* came 
nearer, making the very air tremble, while the writhing 
wind, now with a strange moan, now with an exulting 
rush, was like a flerce ally of the storm, having power 
to \\alk the earth and smite its cowering creatures. 

Uoth men had been silent for some time, hushed by 
the din of the elements that made the loudest human 
voice like the whisper of an infant, when one of the 
tent-ropes on the windward side, snapped, and the frail 
structure swayed ominously. 

^‘What’s that?” cried Lamont. 

^‘A rope has broken. I must call a guard, for 
another gust like that Avill blow the tent down.” 

The gale seemed to ansAver with increased fury, and 
scarcely had General Leigh got outside when the roof- 
pole broke and the tent collapsed. 

Such was the havoc caused by the storm in the hos- 
pital encampment that the day and night forces of 
guards and attendants were all occupied, and it was 
some time before G^ndral Leigh found help. 

It seemed an age to the blind patient in Orchard ward 
No. 7, as he lay there pinioned to his cot by the weight 
of drenching canvas. When finally removed it was seen 
that he was suffering from acute nervous shock, and 
that his condition was serious. He could not speak, 
but when his wife and children came in the afternoon 
lie made a sign that he knew them, and at sunset his 
name was added to the long list on the Kegister of the 
dead. 


CHAPTER XXXr 


Hagar’s return to her old home, combining, though it 
did, ma^ elements of liappiness, was saddened by 
gloomy memories of the past. The episode of her flight 
and its fatal consequences, came back with the \ ivid dis- 
tinctness of a terrible nightmare. She met no more the 
kind look and gentle words of her dear Father Taine, 
to wdiom her final return for all his affection and care 
w^as an act of treacher3^ Spencer discerned that she was 
not happy, and a few days after their arrival he laid 
his case before Colonel Taine. The latter urged him 
to rest contentedly at Chestnut Grove, saying that he 
need not be in any hurry to seek employment, or think 
at all about ways and means, as Hagar’s home should 
be his. 

“ Half of what I have is Hagar’s already,” said the 
Colonel, “and to you’ and her I shall soon leave the 
rest. Content yourself here, my dear Spencer, and 
when the first flush of this girlish grief wears off, you’ll 
find your sweetheart brighter than ever and we shall 
have one of the merriest weddings and one of the hap- 
piest matches that was ever made in Ohio.” 

But Spencer was not satisfied. He would never mar- 
ry, he said, unless he could keep a wife by his own 
exertions. Much as he loved Hagar he would rather 
leave her there and go into the world to make a posi- 
tion for himself, than settle down to the enjoyment of 
anofher’s wealth, no matter how generously or right- 
fully it might be bestowed. And, despite Col. Taine’s 
protests, Hagar’s entreaties, and his own reluctance at 
being separated from the darling who held his heart 
like a spell, he tore himself aTvay, and with a letter of 
introduction from Colonel Taine to the editor of the 

Daily Globe,” went to Cleveland in search of work. 
His aptitude, enthusiasm and sterling good sense, w^ere 
soon recognized by the editor, while his knowledge ol 
short-hand, then an uncommon acquirement, made him 


HAGAR. 


308 

extremely useful. It was scarcely a week before he 
wrote Hagar in his daily budget, that he had been 
assured |700, for the first year, and he thought they 
might be able to marry in the fall. She was not insensi- 
ble to the true manliness displayed by his pluck and in- 
(JeiJeiideiice, anH the i)rocess of writing one or two 
rnissi\ es filled with wi doni and love, every day, and 
reading a like correspondence from him, had a marvel- 
lous eflect upon her spirits. 

One day she Avas sitting on the verandah occupied 
with a piece of embroidery, when Colonel Taine re- 
turned unexpectedly from a visit to Cincinnati. AVith 
him was a gentleman whom Hagar was sure she had 
seen before, but for some time she tried in vain to rec- 
ollect when or where. At last she knew that it was Dr. 
Bruce, whom she had heard lecture on the Mormons at 
Cincinnati. She Avas Ausibly embarrassed, and Colonel 
Taine, with his left arm still in a sling, led his guest 
into the parlor. Leaving him there, he returned to 
Hagar. 

“You are looking charming and happy, dear Hagar. 
May I not tell you of a pleasant surprise I hove for 
you ? ” 

“ Oh, she replied, “ I haA'e become so accustomed to 
surprises that nothing can astonish me noAV. Each 
event of the past two years has been a surprise ; your 
meeting me at Council Bills's was one ; but the greatest 
t;iirprise of all, is the wonderful kindness I have met 
n ith since my return. ’’ Her lips quivered, and Colonel 
Taine interrupted quickl}- — 

“Nonsense, my dear Sister, you are talking sheer non- 
sense. And now you shall have an opportunity to listen 
to facts. Or shall Ave rather call this a legend, a true 
legend? ‘Once upon a time there :was a young lady 
named Hagar. In infancy she waS stolen from hec 
i;arents and left among strangers. The poor father died 
in the fruitless search for her, but the mother lived long 
enough to place her wealth in the care of a good man lor 
the benefit of her dirling, should she ever be found, 
and at a time when the said ‘ darling' was supposed to 
be lost by her adopted friends, she is found by the good 
man who holds a fortune at her disposal,' — ^Now what 
do you think of that ? 


HAGAR 


309 


“ It proves that you could compose an astonishing ro- 
mance if you would only try. ’’ 

“As an opinion,’’ replied James, playfully, “that will 
pass. But please allow me to present the case in a light 
which will not permit of your revicAving my talents sa- 
tirically. You remember, when we were childi^en we 
used to lie awake nights talking about what we should 
do with our millions Avhen we got them ? You were then 
quite certain that 3^011 would squander yours upon dolls 
and cart loads of candy ; and I was as surel^^ going to 
devote mine to terrible expeditions to the \Yest for the 
slaying of Indians and buffalos, and lassoing of wild 
horses on tb e pampas. I admit that I have considerably 
changed m^^ plans, and I venture to think that if you 
were to suddenly' find yourself in possession of a 
fortune, 3' on would deA^ote a larger portion of it to — 
well, say to charitable uses than to dolls and candy ? ” 

“ Yes, I think I should, ” she said, smiling. 

“ But, ” continued Colonel Taine, “ I have strayed 
entirely from m3^ legend, so we aauU permit it now to re- 
solve itself into real elements ; you are yourself the 
infant who was carried away and lost, and the fortune, 
amounting to a figure that I wiU not now repeat, is at 
your command. ” 

She was still incredulous, and for a while could not 
be induced to regard the matter as anything more than 
a joke. But when he told her that Dr. Bruce was the 
good man who held the fortune in trust, and that he had 
come to Chestnut Grove for the purpose of consulting 
her respecting the mone3% she became intensely inter- 
ested, and her face flushed with excitement. Dr. Bruce 
noticed instantly that Hagar bore an unmistakable like- 
ness to the unhappy w^oman Avhose last will he had come 
to execute, and Avas fully assured by this and other cir- 
cumstances, that she was the heir intended by “ Lady 
Clare.” He came thoroughly prepared in every way 
for the business he had to transact, but perhaps the 
most remarkable feature about his embassy AA’^as the 
delicate tact with which he evaded all questions Avhich 
called for answers he had fully determined not to give. 
Left alone in the library with Hagar, he said : 

“Your mother was by no means certain that you 
would ever be found, and therefore gave me no author- 


310 


hagau. 


ity to ransack the family history. She had suffered 
greatly for many years, and was much broken in mind 
and spirit at the time of her death. In her will and in 
all the deeds to her property she mentions you, as you 
have noticed, by your present name ; it was her wish 
that you should not change it. And now, as you are 
of age, I shall deliver my trust into your hands, firmly 
convinced that your own good sense and the counsel 
and friendship of Colonel Taine upon which you may 
rely, absolve me from further interference in the 
matter. ’’ 

When or where Hope Vincent died, he would not in- 
form her, but' eluded the subject in such a way as to al- 
most make it appear of no importance. 

Oh ! dear, dear mother ! could we only have known 
each other ! ” Cried Hagar, mournfully. 

‘‘ Look but a little further down the vista of the Fu- 
ture — beyond the purposes, the joys and hopes of the 
material world, and there in the beautiful region which 
we call the spiritual, just across the airy bridge we 
name Death, you shall find her and know her forever. 

The business portion of the Doctor’s visit was finished 
before supper, and he decided to remain over Sunday as 
it was the first day he had spent away from the hospital 
for two years. At supper Hagar made inquiries about 
General Leigh, in reply to which he said : 

‘‘General Leigh has caused me much anxiety. His 
wounds are virtually healed, and at intervals he is well 
enough to be removed to his home. But his mind seems 
to be more affected than his body. His wife, whom we 
all regard rather as an angel than as a native of this 
earth, appears to be afllicted beyond remedy on account 
of some slight which his mental condition has caused 
him to inflict and is literally toiling herself to death ini 
the wards. We cannot restrain her, for she will listen 
to neither advice nor threats, and as I am satisfied that 
nothing except the occupation in which she takes so 
much pride, prevents her from sudden and probably 
fatal collapse, I have not yet hit upon a way out of the 
difficulty. Though she has refused to enter the ward 
where he stays since he has been out of danger, she 
never misses an opportunity to enquire about him, and 
shows her undying tenderness and affection in many 
ways. What she needs is a complete change, ” 


HAGAR. 


811 


Oh ! how I wish she would come here, ” exclaimed 
Hagar. 

“ And so she shall, ’’ replied Colonel Taine. I urged 
her to come when I saw her in the hospital the other day 
and she promised to do so on receiving your invita- 
tion. 

Dr. Bruce mentioned the fact that General Leigh had 
been worse since the storm which caused so great dam- 
age to the hospital, but was prevented by a sign from 
Colonel Taine, from making any mention of the Lamont 
episode. 

Josephine arrived at Cleveland a few days later and 
was met at the station by Colonel Taine, Hagar and 
Spencer. The latter then met Mrs. Leigh for the first 
time and did not drive to Chestnut Grove with them as 
his duties prevented. Josephine, however, liked his 
appearance, and congratulated Hagar upon her choice 
of a husband. 

“ If there ever was a thoroughly honest man, Spencer 
is one. But the best of the case is that they are both 
madly in love, and each thinks the other perfect,’^ said 
Colonel Taine. 

Though a few years Hagar ’s senior Josephine found 
her entirely congenial, and entered heartily into the dis- 
cussion of her future. Colonel Taine declared that with 
her help he intended to arrange for the wedding immedi- 
ately, and by his thorough good nature had put them in 
the best of spirits on the road to Chestnut Grove. On 
arriving at the gate, they were surprised and the horses 
startled at seeing a ragged and unkempt individual 
seated on the rustic bench just inside the fence. His 
stockingless feet which were tied up in the wrecks of two 
odd army shoes, were di*awn under him on the seat, 
while his head, partly covered with a peakless cap that 
looked more gray than blue, was couched on his arms 
against the back of the bench, and his body inclined 
forward. His face was concealed by his ragged sleeves 
and he was evidently asleep. 

Some poor tramp or deserter, observed Colonel 
Taine 

The opening and shutting of gates, the rattle of the 
horse’s iron shoes on the gi*avel and the sound of human 
voices did not disturb him in the least. The carriage 
was stopped, and Colonel Taine got out. 


312 


HAGAE. 


is evidently very tired, and no doubt hungry, 
so if you will drive on, I will arouse him and ask him 
to come to the house for some refreshment,’’ said the 
Colonel. The carriage i)roceeded to the house, and the 
officer went up to the tramp and tapped him on th / 
shoulder. This did not arouse him, and it was a 
jiiomeut or two before the man looked uj), seeming 
in a kind of stupor, but evidently not under the in- 
iluence of liquor. When he caught sight of his distur- 
ber he clasi)ed his arms around some of the timbers 
of the bench and held fast, glancing at the Colonel 
with a wild and furtive look. 

‘‘ I am not going to hurt you, my friend, ” said Colonel 
Taine, in a kindly voice, “I want to ask you to come 
ill and rest yourself, and get something to eat. ” 

The man shook his head dismally, and took a firmer 
grip upon the bench. 

‘‘ You have been a soldier ? 

The man nodded an affirmative, and with another sad 
motion of the head let his chin sink upon his breast. 

^‘Well, then, tell me what you wish and I will help 
you for I am a soldier myself. If you belong to these 
parts, I can send you to your home. Come, let me 
lead you to the house, and when you have had some 
dinner you can tell me what you like of your story, 
and I will aid you all I can. ” 

As the Colonel spoke, the man looked up several times 
and again bowed his head without making an attempt 
to answer. Though his featureis indicated that ho 
was young, his shaggy hair and beard were streaked 
with gray. He appeared to be a hopeless wreck. But 
there was something about him which excited both the 
pity and interest of Col. Taine, who persisted in his 
efi’ort to induce him to come to the house for food 
and rest. 

“ Where are you from ? ” he asked. 

“ From ? from ? Ha ! You’ve never been there — but 
1 see you’ve caught a wing shot, too — poor devil ! From ? 
Two hells,— the hell of fire, and the hell of ice ! Yon 
don’t know them ? But say, can you tell me where I am ? 
I’ve been wandering about a hundred years, looking 
for her, for Hagar, and I know this old bench is hers 
and that old gate, and look here, that’s the last letter 


HAGAR. 


313 


she wrote me. And is she here now — is she here ? ^ 

As he spoke he took a small scrap of dirty paper 
from a pocket in his ragged blouse, and his voice was 
very plaintive as he looked up into the ColoneFs face 
to ask the final question. 

‘‘Yes,” the latter replied, “Hagar lives here, but 
what is your name ? ” 

At this question he raised his hand to his forehead, 
and again shook his head absently. He tried to speak, 
but appeared unable to command either voice or words. 
Colonel Taine finally took hold of his arm and led him 
to the house. He endeavored in vain to eat, and 
though he gazed vacantly at those about him, he did 
not recognized even Hagar. After taking a few sips 
of wine ne spoke several coherent words among which 
were “Hagar,” and “this letter.” 

It fell out from what he said, and upon examination 
of the note, which Hagar recognized as one she had 
written to her rustic young admirer AN’illiam Sanders in 
the autumn of ’62, that this scarred and broken spectre 
was all that was left of that gallant recruit. Hagar w^as 
deeply affected by his condition, for with the clue she 
now had, she was certain that it was none other than 
her old friend, whose manly character and noble heart 
she had admired and almost loved. 

What then could have happened to him? 

Colonel Taine had the full reports of the Ohio Vol- 
unteers up to within a few weeks, at hand, and on re- 
ferring to those relating to the regiment to which 
Hagar said he wms assigned, found that William 
Sanders wms rej)orted among the missing after the 
second day’s battle at Murfreesboro. His fate was 
now clear. After he was wounded he had crawled inh> 
the woods to save himself from being trampled lo 
pieces by the rushing cavalry ; had been found there 
after the battle and cared for by some friendly inhab- 
itant of the country, and probably wandered away wi 
his half -demented state as soon as he could walk. Un- 
able to give any account of himself he had doubtless 
r(*amed about for several months, and Providence had 
guided his feeble steps towards home at last. 

The news was broken gently to his parents who still 
mourned the loss of the son who was their pride, and he 


314 


HAGAE. 


was taken home to die after a few days of peace, with 
the kiss of his dear mother and of Hagar on his brow. 
The minister said that the brave spirit had remained 
with the shattered body just long enough to bring it 
home, and then sped away to that better Home wnere 
war and suffering come no more. 


CHAPTEK XXXn. 


•‘This is tlie damning hypocrisy of the age, that it slights 
morality and spends its zeal in ceremony/’— 

‘Mrs. Leigh’s health and spirits were soon improved in 
the genial atmosphere of Chestnut Grove, but there 
was a lingering sadness in her demeanor which she could 
not dispel. James explained to Hagar that it was prob- 
ably due to Josephine’s grief on account of her hus- 
band's wrecked condition, but added that he was certain 
some cause of estrangement existed between them — 
something more subtle in its effects than any physical 
injury. In speaking of the matter to Hagar, he said : — 

“ Without having the remotest idea of what this 
trouble is, I have determined to make an effort to bring 
about a reconciliation. Dr. Bruce thinks that, if they 
could meet alone under favorable conditions, all would 
be set right, and it has occurred to me that the occasion 
of your wedding will afford just the opportunity we 
want. I will arrange the details, and you must help me 
to carry them out.” 

Xearly every day Josephine received a note from Dr. 
Bruce, who was in Colonel Taine’s confidence, respect- 
ing her husband’s health and the general news of the 
hospital, in which her patient devotion had been a fea- 
ture for many months. In his latest letter the Doctor 
wrote : 

“General Leigh seems much happier of late, and is 
also in better health. But he still refuses to leave the 
hospital except with a certificnte that he is fit for ser- 
vice. This, of course is out of the question, for as a 
matter of fact, he will never again be fit for active ser- 
vice. He seems to suspect that you have left the 
hospital, and said to me yesterday : ‘ I have treated my 
wife with great indignity since I came here, and I want 
to see her to ask her forgiveness.’ I put him off by say- 
ing that you were away for a rest but would soon be 
back. Mrs. Lament has returned, broken-hearted to 


316 


HAGAlL 


New Orleans, still straggling against doubts that only 
her own goodness prevented her from perceiving in their 
true bearings, and in spite of all her sulierings, believ- 
ing still that the husband who so cruelly blighted her 
life, was innocent.’^ 

Hagar’s daily letter to Spencer kept him informed of 
all that was transpiring at Chestnut Grove, and when, 
on Saturday night he came there to stay over Sunday, 
it did not take them long to determine that there was 
no good reason why their marriage should be further 
delayed. 

I’m afraid you will find me a dull old -fellow for a 
husband, darling Hagar,” said Spencer, after the wed- 
ding day had been fixed. ‘'But if you can reconcile 
yourself to live in the same house with one whose faults 
you have had no opportunity to discover, my undying 
love and a constant purpose of amendment may help to 
atone for my shortcomings. As I grow older, the mission- 
ary spii'it which was strong within me when we first 
met, seems to take a firmer hold upon my mind and heart 5 
but it is broader now than the pinched horizon of a 
creed, and I feel that I am not fixed in a groove as I was 
before. As I look back, I realize that a kind of canker 
1 possessed me, body and soul, and it seems that the 
AYorker of Miracles had found me battling with a devil 
and mercif idly cast it out. My spirit is resolute, and free 
and kindly towards all men as it never was before ; the 
bitterness of a narrow bigotry has ceased to control my 
heart — I am literally the ‘ deformed transformed.’ And 
all this I owe to you my darling, my wife ! ” 

“ What, then, do I not owe to you, love, and what do 
we both not owe to heaven ? In my sight you can never 
have a fault. We may be called upon to suffer or to 
mourn together, but I conceive you perfect. To be con- 
vinced that you were not would be worse than deathj 
and death would come sooner than that conviction. For 
you are brave, and generous, and good. You think of 
others rather than yourself, and make your spirit mas- 
ter of what’s beneath it. I shall learn from you, love, 
how to think ; and you may learn from me, how to love.” 

“I think I might pass a fair examination in that sweet 
study already. But, do you know, dearest, that I almost 
regret your fortune came to prevent the ideal bliss I 


HAGAR. 


317 


had imagined for us in a tiny cottage far removed from 
the notice of the world. I pictured myself struggling 
cheerfully to pay the rent and provide such humble fare 
as poverty can afford ; while I saw you the busy house- 
wife, my sweetea* self, happy and bright through adver- 
sity, making the poor man’s cottage sunnier than any 
palace. But what will be our course under the new con- 
ditions ? 

First of all, let us travel. That experience will give 
still wider range to your ^ missionary spirit,’ and on our 
return we can have the ideal cottage of your dream. 
But, tell me, love, do you ever regi*et having separated 
yourself from the Mormon Zion ? There always 
seems to be a sad note in your voice when you recur to 
your people.” 

regi-et the people but not the cause.” 

And, while I think of it, what religion shall we pro- 
fess now?’^ 

“ Let us profess the religion of action rather than that 
of creed. Let us endeavor to be and do, rather than to 
seem or pretend. Like other men, I can readily conjure 
up an impossible ideal, but the possible extends as far 
as man need want to go. While much of the so called 
moral teaching and religious doctrine of the past is 
doubtful b<>th as to authority and utility, the two 
simple commands of the Saviour which may be under- 
stood by a child, bear the impress of perfect Truth, 
and I sincerely believe are within the bounds of the 
])ossible. 

Love one another 

Do unto others as you would that they should do 
to you.” 

These apply to both needs and the natures of men 
in their best state. We feel that we require justice 
from others, and we therefore accord it gladl3\ Real- 
ized, these commands solve all human difficulties. They 
change chaos into concord by the magic of their touch j 
they set straight all the crooked ways of thought and 
action which now keep men floundering in despair. 
They signify the only remedy for evils wffiich now per- 
vade every ihuman institution and every phase of 
human life. To obey them ' in spirit and in truth/ is 


318 


HAGAE. 


to disarm the oppressor, to check, and‘ finally to abolish 
evil-doing and evil-thinking, too j and to adjust all the 
varied and complicated relations of life upon principles 
as harmonious as Nature herself ; for, to be fair, just, 
honest, truthful, virtuous and conscientious, in all our 
conduct and dealings with our fellow-beings, would be 
the inevitable result of strict obedience to these two 
Divine commands.’’ 

‘‘Why, then, are they not obeyed? Is it one of the 
conditions of existence here that we must continue 
in a state of misery and imperfection ? ” 

“ It may be, but I prefer to think that the methods 
which are, and have been, employed ostensibly for the 
purpose of giving them effect, were not of a character 
to attain that end, and that men for ages have pursued 
a shadow at the cost of the substance. There may be 
better methods still available. It appears to me, more- 
over, that the question of maintaining life has a power- 
ful bearing here. While men are struggling desper- 
ately for existence they will not, they cannot, receive 
much benefit from merely ethical teaching. The accep- 
tation and practice of these beneficent doctrines cannot 
be conlined to a class or mce, they must be universal ; 
and universal man in the present state of the world, 
whatever his origin may have been, is much more animal 
than spirit.” 

“But is there not much honest effort being made in 
the direction of a higher and better plane ? May not 
your highest ideal sometime be realized?” 

“ In the remotest future, yes. But in -our own day 
men lack sympathy. They cannot ‘ love one another,’ be- 
cause they think and care only for themselves. The ad- 
vance of science has far outstripped that of morals. 
Men hate and fear each*other because most of their call- 
ings hinge on trickery. The practice of reprisal, whicli 
in the Middle ages was carried on by direct open attack, 
is perpetuated in modern cunning, and the ‘ Robber Bar- 
on ’ of to-day is he who has driven less lucky tricksters 
to the wall by his superior talents as a gambler. Only 
a revolution of the most astonishing kind can bring men 
to their senses.” 

A revolution I Do you mean a war ? ” 


HAGAB. 


319 


“ It might be done without war if men would pause to 
think ; but history seems to show that the only lessons 
that have a lasting effect on the world are written in 
blood. But the mandate has gone forth, and a greater 
multitude of the people than most men dream of, are al- 
ready convinced that it must be obeyed. Those who hin- 
der will be left behind, and those who oppose will be 
trampled under foot. The awful problem can only be 
solved by the power of the Infinite working here 
through good men. It seems like a maze impossible to 
thread ! Is the solution to be found in some natural 
fact like steam or electricity, and to be brought home to 
the race as palpably as these ? The thing is there like 
lightning in the clouds, but where is the Franklin to cap- 
ture it on his kite’s tail and demonstrate it to humani- 
ty !” 

“ Perhaps that honor may be reserved for you.” 

Spencer spoke with the rapt interest and enthusiasm 
that can only emanate from a true and ardent soul. 
They were sitting on the verandah in the shadow of the 
creeper that hung in graceful clusters, and the moon 
beams as they fell through the lattice were dancing in 
kaleidoscopic figures about them. Hagar had nestled 
her head against her lover’s breast as she made the last 
remark, and Spencer was about to reply, when they 
heard a f ootstep on the porch. Looking round they saw 
the dark outline of a woman’s figure standing a short 
distance from them. Her hat and costume showed them 
at once that she^was a stranger, but her face was in 
shadow. 

Spencer rose, and taking a step toward her, said : 

May I ask whom we have the pleasure of ” 

^^You do not know me,” interrupted the figure. ^^I 
have come here wdth a message for the daughter of 
Hope Vincent — is she here ? ” 

A message from my mother ! ” exclaimed Hagar, 
setizing Spencer’s arm. ‘‘Will you come in?” 

“ No — I take it you are Hagar, and if so, can deliver 
my message here.” 

“ I am.” 

She had scarcely uttered the words when two pistol 
shots in quick succession flashed in her face, and she 
sank to the floor uttering a falint moan. 


320 


HAGAE. 


The woman vanished as stealthily as she had come, 
and the panic caused by the alarm of fire-arms com- 
pletely unnerved everybody about the place. James 
was absent, and Josephine was frantic wlien she rushed 
down stairs and met Spencer carrying Hagar into the 
sitting-room. 

The poor fellow was dumb with agony beyond the 
l)Ower of words, beyond the range of thought. His 
darling one had fallen mortally hurt in his very arms, 
and he could not save her. By the lurid glare of the 
deadly weapon that had torn her from liim, he saw and 
knew the face of her murderer. 

“ It is i)ossible that her life may yet be saved. Hurry, 
Dan, get a horse and go for a doctor, quick, quick,” 
gasped i)oor Spencer. 

Despite his deadly fear, Dan lost no time in making 
his way to the nearest country doctor’s, but long before 
the doctor came, Hagar was no more. 


After quarter of a century the gloom of that dread 
night still casts its shadows over the minds of those who 
knew and loved the victim. James Taine, the honored 
veteran has spent his lonely life in chosen seclusion at 
the old home, and has tried in vain through all these 
years to account for the mystery of Hagar’s death. 
Spencer never told him nor anybody what he knew 
about it; but, only the other da^' in writing from the 
slums of New York, where he has spent his life and Ha- 
gar’s fortune, in trying to help the wretched, he said: 

To-day I met with a most singular experience. 
A denizen of one of the most squalid tenements of 
Catherine Street came and told me that a woman was 
sick in a garret where starvation threatened her and 
another woman with three children who were her fello\^' 
lodgers. The sick woman, my informant said, had 
lived for sometime by fishing scraps from garbage bar- 
rels along the curb-stones of the quarter, was old and 
bent, and given to the use of grog. When I reached 
the noisome garret where she lay, it was plain that 
neither grog nor any other stimulant, solid or liquid, 
had played any part there for many hours. I sent for 
food and fuel and paused to make enquiries for future 


HAGAE. 


321 


jiuidance, when to my horror I discovered that the wom- 
an was none other than the Belle Ross of whose visits 
Dr. Bruce told us before that fatal night. I had met 
her during my memorable stay at Cincinnati in ’02, 
and the next time I saw her face was by a pistol flash. 
Oh, James ! I cannot tell you the anguish this cruel 
tearing open of a mortal wound has caused me ! I taxed 
the loathsome creature with her crime and she confessed 
in full, saying that she was thirsting for revenge from 
the moment she knew the disposition Hope Vincent 
made of her property. A lover deserted her on account 
of her failure to secure the fortune — a lover for whom 
she would willingly have died, and for whose support 
she had systematically robbed her mistress for months. 
This, she said, completely unbalanced her mind, and 
without caring what might be the result, she vowed to 

do the awful deed ! She begged me not to give 

her over to the law, but to have pity, and supply her 

with drink enough to drown remembrance Little 

cah be done for the poor wretch, but I shall help her 
as best I can to prepare for the end, which is near at 
hand.” 






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BELFORD’S 


MHGHZINE. 


BONN PIATT, Editor. 


Washington, D. C. July 16, 1888. 

We have examined BELFORDS MAGAZINE; find that in its 
political tone and contents it is distinctly and thoroughly demo- 
cratic; of high literary merit, and we take pleasure in commending 
it to all who want a fair, able and fearless exponent of sound 
principles, combined with the literature of a first-class Magazine. 


A. H. GARLAND, Attorney General. 
JOHN M. BLACK, Com. of Pensions. 
D. W. VOOKHEES. U. S. S. 

JAMES B. BECK, U. S. S. 

JOS. C. S. BLACKBURN, U. S. S. 
j. R. McPherson, u. s. s. 

JOHN W. DANIEL, U. S. S 
JOHN H. REAGAN, U. S. S. 

Z. B. VANCE, U. 8, S. 

M. C BUTLER, U. S. 9. 

JAS. Z. GEORGE, U. S. S. 

WADE HAMPTON, U. S. S. 

C. R. BRECKINRIDGE, M. C. 

W. C WUITTHORNE, M. C. 
THOMAS WILSON, M. C. 

JOS. WHEELER. M C. 
MELBOURNE H. FORD, M. C. 
GEORGE A ANDERSON, M. C. 
THOMAS R. HUDD. M. C. 

BENTON McMILLIN, M. C. 

JAMES PHELAN, M. C. 

JOHN H. ROGERS, M. C 
T. M. NORWOOD. M. C. 

JAMES N. BURNS, M. C. 

HENRY" GEORGE. 

Bedford’s Monthly is a 


DON M. DICKINSON, P. M. Genl. 

A. E. STEVENSON, Ist Asst. P. M. G 
ELI SAULSBURY, U. S. S. 

E. C. WALTHALL, U. S. S. 

W. G. SUMNER. Professor, Yale Col. 
JAMES K. JONES, U. S. S. 

R. Q. MILLS, M. C. 

JAMES H. BERRY, U. S. S. 

JAMES L. PUGH, U. S. S. 

H B, PAYNE, U. S. S. 

C. C. MATSON, M. C. 

R. W. TOWNSHEND, M. C. 

J. H. OUTH WAITE, M. C. 

H. H. CARLTON, M. G 

J. C. CLEMENS, M. O. 

B. P. SHIVELY, M. C. 

Wm. C. OATES, M. O. 

W. J. STONE. M. C. 

P. T GLASS. M. C. 

C. T. O’PERRALL, M. C. 

P. T. SHAW, M. C. 

J R. WHITING, M. C. 

S. Z. LANDES, M. <' 

ALEX. M. DOCKERY. M. C. 

T. C. McRAE, M. C. 

JOHN E. HUTTON. M. G. 

H W. RUSK. M. C. 

THOMAS E. POWELL 


first-class medium for advertising, 
a.s the publishers guarantee a bona-fide circulation of at least 70,000 
copies per month. 

Prices, $2.50 a year, or 25 cents per number. 


BELFORD, CLARKE & CO.. Publishers. 

CHICAGO. NBIV YORK. SAN FRANCISCO 


I 






fSixHoLt TheMhi. 


feuiiMARI tflNSlDEFOlljSciiaSOF 
IcURlCMli^E 


rHEOPHeiStll' ^S>yfl_Si>G<f! 

SUCH WS'.ftfiu ilusM»R«ls4i/, 


It/iAPY.Cl^ 


f/^RKE 


.ARKE 




'^O- 


FOR $4.5C 

A CLEAN SAVING OF $8.00. 

Tie Most fiemarlalle Literary Offer Eyer Made. 


1 00,000 new subscribers are wanted for Belford’s Maga: 
and to get them we make the following great offer: 


FOR $4,50 

We will send to each new subscriber a set of 

(5E0RCE ELIOT’S COMPLETE WORJ 


In six large, i2mo volumes, containing 4,600 pages, « 
gantly bound in the best English cloth; large, clear ty 
good paper, gold and ink embossing; each set in a n 
box. Published at $10.00, and 


BEIifOl^fi’S IVIflGflZIflE 


For one year, postpaid, containing over 1,800 pages of re. 
ing matter. Published at $2.50. 

The magazine is under the editorial management 
the keenest and most slashing writer of the day, 


XDOISTKT 

a complete original novel from the pen of some foremost American novel 


And, besides 

(alone worth more than the price of the magazine), contains vigorous discussions on the 1 
portant political, economic, social and literary questions of the day, written in a fearless, al 
and independent manner by the best authorities, and articles, sketches, poems and stories 
gifted and popular writers. 

The highest place in the realm of fiction has been accorded by universal consent 
George Eliot. No writer, living or dead, has covered the ground she has swept with the wi 
of her commanding genius. 

The set includes Adam Bede, Romola, Felix Holt, Middlemarch, Daniel Deronl 
Silas Marner, The Mill on the Floss, Scenes from Clerical Life, Theophrastus Sue 

AND JUBAL AND OTHER POEMS. 

Over 2,000 newspapers speak in the highest possible terms of Belford’s Magazine, ai 
commend it to all who want a fair, able and fearless exponent of sound principles, combim 
with the literature of a first-class magazine. 

Subscriptions can begin with any number, as each number is complete in itself, and mi 
be sent to any of 


our oflBces. 

Remit by Post- 
office or Express 
order, or Bank 
Check. 


eELFORD, 
CLARKE & CO. 


Publishers, 


CHICAGO: 

109 & 111 Wabash Ave. 


NEW YORK: 

82 East 18th Street, 


SAN FRANCISCO: 
884 Olurbet Street, 


Actual Size, 8 x 7 V x 5M 









library of congress 



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